Paul Merson feels Arsenal’s counter-attacking goal scored by Alexandre Lacazette against Southampton was ‘mind-blowing’, speaking on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday (18/12, 13:42).
The Gunners beat the Saints at the Emirates Stadium last weekend, with Lacazette breaking the deadlock in a 3-0 win. The Frenchman fired home after a blistering break by the north Londoners, which started from goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Arsenal turned defence into attack to score within 16-seconds with a 16-pass team move. Ramsdale soaked up the Southampton pressure to find Benjamin White, who had already taken a glance over his shoulder to see which teammates were open and ready for a pass.
White chose Partey and continued Arsenal’s string of one-touch passes down the right-flank, carving Southampton open with each. Takehiro Tomiyasu eventually found the ball to Bukayo Saka, who carried on driving toward the Saints box to feed Lacazette.
Lacazette made no mistake to fire home into the top corner with a first-time finish from 12-yards out. It was his second Premier League goal this season and first since October 18.
Merson loved Arsenal break for Lacazette to score vs Southampton
Merson loved Arsenal’s break for Lacazette to score against Southampton last week. The Gunners then followed the 3-0 win with a 2-0 victory over West Ham United, to move into fourth-place in the table ahead of visiting Leeds United on Saturday evening.
“It must be [one of the goals of the season],” Merson gushed. “Unbelievable, what a goal.
“This is a PlayStation goal, I mean look at that [finish by Lacazette]. Unbelievable. It’s just perfect, everything was perfect – the angles, everything about it.
“That’s what you would put on in training, and you go: ‘Well, it won’t happen in a game, but we’ll do it’. Absolutely brilliant and here, again, [for Saka] to pick out the right pass and the finish is just mind-blowing. For me, they’re my kind of goals.”
Arsenal have won six of their last nine Premier League games and kept clean sheets in five. But each defeat also came on the road to Liverpool, Manchester United and Everton.
The Gunners have not won away from the Emirates since beating Leicester 2-0 on October 30. Lacazette started that day, but Gabriel Magalhaes and Emile Smith Rowe scored.
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