"Bit of a reality check for them" - Former Tottenham player makes interesting comments after Arsenal's draw with Southampton

Former Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp has said that Arsenal were handed a 'reality check' during their 1-1 Premier League draw against Southampton at St. Mary's on Sunday (October 23). It was only the second time the Gunners dropped points in the league this season.

Hoping to restore their four-point lead atop the standings, Arsenal started off strongly, with Granit Xhaka opening the scoring in the 11th minute. However, Ralph Hassenhuttl's side levelled things in the 65th minute through a cool finish by Stuart Armstrong as the points were shared on the night.

Speaking to Sky Sports (via Football London), Redknapp lauded the north London outfit's efforts in the final third for their goal. He said:

"They played some great stuff. (Ben) White and (Bukayo) Saka linking up (in the build-up to the opener), Xhaka picking up positions in good areas. It's a great finish and great movement."

However, Redknapp said that the league leaders eventually ran out of steam against a determined Southampton side. He said:

"It happened time and time again. Could it be two or three? But they ran out. It seemed to be a bit of a reality check for them."

Arsenal are scheduled to play six games across competitions in 20 days before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar next month. Gunners manager Mikel Arteta is expected to rotate his squad in the next few weeks to help combat fatigue and retain the team's sharpness.

The Gunners will next lock horns with PSV Eindhoven at the Philips Stadion in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday (October 27).

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Mikel Arteta pinpoints reason behind Arsenal's failure to win at Southampton

In his post-match press conference, Arteta shared his thoughts on what went wrong for Arsenal against the Saints. He said:

"I think we stopped doing all the simple things right. The distances on the ball positions were too far; we gave too many simple balls away in very dangerous areas without much pressure, and that didn't allow us much continuity like we had in the first half."

Arteta added that his team tried their best to snatch a winner in the second half. but fatigue played a role in their failure to do so. He said:

"You are more tired because the game becomes more open, and there are more transitions, and you are fatigued. I think again we finished the game on top of them, and we tried to go for the second goal, but we didn't find a way to do it."

Despite the two dropped points, Arsenal remain atop the Premier League standings with 28 points from 11 games, two points ahead of Manchester City.