Paul Merson stunned by what Aaron Cresswell did in Arsenal v West Ham
Aaron Cresswell was brought back into the starting 11 for West Ham against Arsenal, leaving Paul Merson shocked after an incident in the second half.
Graham Potter certainly took a risk when naming his West Ham XI, opting to go with five at the back in a bid to subdue the attacking threat posed by Arsenal.
However, his decision paid off with the Gunners struggling to carve out any real goalscoring opportunities as a result of the defensive structure adopted by the Irons.
Cresswell was one of those brought back into the starting lineup and his defensive contributions played a crucial role as the Hammers secured a crucial 1-0 victory, but it was a separate incident that left Merson stunned.
Aaron Cresswell wows with second-half moment v Arsenal
After taking a first-half lead through Jarrod Bowen, who has been a crucial player for West Ham this season, the Irons had a chance to double their advantage in the second half.
Cresswell delivered a cross into the Gunners penalty area towards Bowen who was just inches away from getting a foot on it, but it was that very cross that impressed Merson.
Speaking on Sky Sports News (22 February, 4:12pm), Merson said: “[Bowen] thinks the defender’s got a touch and it’s a corner, but what a ball this is. I think it’s by Cresswell, it is with his left foot.
“He whips this ball, it’s an unbelievable ball, he whips it around, around Gabriel, and [Bowen] nearly gets there.”
A second goal at that time of the game would have been massive for the Hammers but a red card for Myles Lewis-Skelly served as just as much of an advantage.
| Arsenal v West Ham | Passing | Duels (won) | Touches | Defensive actions |
| Aaron Cresswell | 86% completion | 5 (4) | 49 | 10 |
West Ham can take plenty from their win against Arsenal
West Ham were more than deserving of their result against Arsenal and Potter’s decision to switch up the formation certainly paid off.
The Gunners struggled to get anything out of the Irons backline, who were able to keep their composure on the ball and start several counterattacks.
With West Ham having won just one of the six encounters under Potter prior to this clash, the win will provide them with a huge momentum boost and serve as a showcase that this team is far better than the league table suggests.