Paul Merson sympathised with Rob Holding after he had to come up against Erling Haaland during Arsenal’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday night at the Etihad.
Pep Guardiola’s side secured an emphatic victory against their Premier League title rivals. Rob Holding scored the only goal of the game for Arsenal, which Paul Merson described as a ‘really, really good’ finish.
It was perhaps the only thing Mikel Arteta and his players could cheer about. But then again, they couldn’t because it came three minutes from time when they were 3-0 down.
As the game entered into stoppage-time, many were left scratching their heads as to how Erling Haaland hadn’t managed to find the back of the net.
But as the Norway international let his hair down, he was wheeling away in celebration to score a record-breaking Premier League goal number 33 of the season.
Either way, Merson had sympathy for the man at the heart of Arsenal’s defence, as he told Soccer Special on Sky Sports News (26/04/23).
“He hasn’t done too bad, he is just up against it,” said Merson. “They are playing a high line and there is plenty of room. He gives as good as he gets. I mean who does stop Haaland? It doesn’t matter if it’s Holding, or whoever it is. It’s just so difficult to play against.
On Holding’s goal: “What a good finish it is. Trossard comes in from the right-hand side and dribbles, dribbles. He just rolls it to the edge of the box to Holding. He steps on it, right-footed into the bottom corner. It’s a really, really good finish.”
ARSENAL’S MORALE ON THE FLOOR
That’s four games that have well and truly turned Arsenal’s season on its head and all for the wrong reasons.
They are still sitting at the top of the Premier League table, with a two-point lead, but Manchester City have two crucial games in hand.
Given the form the current champions are in, and the fact that they are chasing a treble, nothing is going to stop this train from going full steam ahead now and finishing off the job.
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