Spaniard got a rare Premier League start for Arsenal.
Summer signing Lucas Perez was handed a start for Arsenal in their win over Crystal Palace, with star man Mesut Ozil missing the game through illness.
The former Deportivo La Coruna attacker has had an inconsistent start to life at The Emirates, also blighted by injury, and yesterday’s match only saw him continue to remain an enigma.
Arsenal’s Lucas Perez in action
Playing against a Sam Allardyce side was certainly a new experience for Perez, and he lasted 72 minutes before being withdrawn.
Arsenal won the game with ease, 2-0, with Olivier Giroud scoring an outstanding goal to set the Gunners on their way before Alex Iwobi bagged another.
The game was Perez’s first start for Arsenal in the Premier League since September.
In fairness, playing out on the right is not Perez’s first choice position, but he made it work, by linking up well with Hector Bellerin and winning the ball back in the lead up to Arsenal’s opener.
Arsenal’s Lucas Perez in action with West Bromwich Albion’s Gareth McAuley
Perez showed he is capable of more offensively in the win over Basel, and this was not his day, but it was another chance to get acclimatised to Premier League football and the impact could bear out in future performances.
Here is a look at how Arsenal fans reacted on Twitter to Perez’s performance…
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