Vintage Matt waves goodbye to Dell

We should have known better. When it comes to players who have graced The Dell, Le Tissier's name will forever be mentioned in the first breath. His 17 minutes on the pitch showed why.

From the moment he sidled on, he seemed to have space around him. To thread his passes, to knock a 50-yard square ball to James Beattie's feet for no other reason than simply because he could. And finally, gloriously, to swivel, two minutes from the end, his back to goal, on to a dropping ball in the Arsenal area and lash in a half-volley so sweet it made you wonder why everyone else makes the game look so difficult.

The Saints fans were still bowing their 'We're not worthy' bows to the man whose No.7 is accompanied simply by the word 'God' on so many replica shirts, when the final whistle sounded.

So perfect. So Le Tissier.

So Southampton at The Dell.

The questions are can Le Tissier cut out the convenience foods and can he and Southampton still weave their magic at their new 32,000- capacity stadium across the city centre?

'It was lovely to score the last goal at The Dell. That would have been the way I would have planned it,' said Le Tissier. 'I just caught it so sweet, I knew it was in as soon as I hit it. I don't see why I can't score the first one at the new stadium.

'I've not played much of a part this season and the credit has to go to the other lads for us doing so well. To finish 10th in the Premier-ship is a fantastic effort.'

Le Tissier's wonder strike - his first Premiership goal of an injury-ravaged season - capped a fine recovery by Southampton, twice behind to Cole and then Freddie Ljungberg and rescued on each occasion by Hassan Kachloul.

If the game proves to be the Morocco midfielder's final one for the club - he is out of contract this summer - he was happy to be over-shadowed by Saint Matthew.

'He deserved it. He's done so much for this club. Matt's probably the only one who could score that kind of goal,' said Kachloul.

If Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger needs no convincing of Le Tissier's talents, he is less optimistic for Southampton' s h o m e record when they move to the new ground in the St Mary's area of the city.

Wenger said: 'It's difficult when you come here. The crowd are close and the pitch is small, a bit like Highbury.

'The new stadium will be bigger with a larger pitch, but maybe Southampton will lose some of their home strength.'

Arsenal are at the end of another campaign that promised much but delivered little and Wenger admitted: 'Overall, I'm frustrated by this season. We got so close to everything but didn't win anything.'

The Frenchman began planning for next season yesterday by rekindling his interest in Feyenoord goal-keeper Jerzy Dudek.

Wenger and vice-chairman David Dein flew out to Holland to watch the £10millionrated Poland keeper in action in the 2-2 draw with Utrecht. The Gunners previously pulled out of a move for Dudek in October.

The Arsenal pair were also casting an eye over 26 -year- old Utretcht defender Patrick Zwaanswyk, who is seen as a long-term replacement for Tony Adams.