Neville hits out at two players for putting Arsenal ‘in trouble’

Joe Williams
Gary Neville Arsenal Man Utd

Gary Neville criticised Arsenal pair Gabriel Magalhaes and Thomas Partey for their role in Tottenham’s opening goal on Sunday.

Son Heung-min and Harry Kane were both on the scoresheet as Spurs beat Arsenal 2-0 in the first north London derby of the season.

For Son’s opening goal, the Gunners failed to pick Kane up on the edge of the centre circle before he threaded a lovely ball to the South Korean. Son took full advantage of the pass to hit a wonderful 25-yard effort past Bernd Leno.


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And following the goal, former Manchester United defender Neville was frustrated by the poor Arsenal defending.

“Who is it that can pick up Harry Kane? Who’s got Harry Kane?” Neville said of Son’s strike during commentary on Sky Sports. “Gabriel, you can’t let him there… that yard.

“Partey as well, they’ve got to be quicker to him. Two yards off him is too far away and then you’re in trouble. They all drop off. It’s a brilliant strike and he’s capable of that.”

Fellow pundit Jamie Redknapp added: “He’s the perfect supporting act isn’t he, Son? He does everything right in that strike.

“That’s what I love about him, when you see him just cut inside, he doesn’t try to hit it too hard. He just caresses it into the corner. He knows he’s got the ability and he sets it outside the goalkeeper’s left-hand side and it drifts into the net.

“A beautiful strike and some of the great strikes are not when a player tries to hit it too hard. It’s a great controlled finish. You can talk about defenders dropping off but beautiful. What a goal.”