Premier League 2019-20, Arsenal 2-2 Southampton: 5 talking points

The Premier League is back, and it couldn’t have come quick enough for Arsenal. The club had been itching to set things right after a tumultuous few weeks before the international break; the under-pressure Unai Emery had failed to win a league game in the last four outings.

As for Southampton, they came into this game having lost four out of their previous five games. A trip the Emirates would have been the perfect way to gain some momentum before a crucial Christmas period.

Against all odds, Southampton took the lead as Danny Ings rushed in behind an unsuspecting Arsenal defence. But the Gunners equalized 10 minutes later through an Alexandre Lacazette strike after a melee in the penalty box.

The Saints would once again take the lead through a James Ward-Prowse penalty in the 71st minute. They looked set to see out the match until Alexandre Lacazette stabbed home his second of the match in the 95th minute.

Here are five talking points from Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Southampton.

#5 Failure to keep a clean sheet

Arsenal have conceded 19 goals this season

Attack wins you games, while defence wins you titles. To have any kind of success in the Premier League, it’s imperative that a club has a tight defence. And for far too long, the Gunners have showcased the opposite of that.

David Luiz’s arrival in the summer was meant to solve that issue, but instead his presence has seemingly compounded the problem. Luiz and Sokratis haven been poor this season, heaping more pressure on the soon-to-be-sacked Emery.

Arsenal have only kept two clean sheets in 13 games this season, equating to 19 goals conceded. That’s atrocious for a side with top 4 ambitions.

Without a doubt, the Gunners have the worst defence out of the top six teams, making them more susceptible against the poor teams in the league. It doesn’t help that once again the team conceded 21 shots on goal this game, an obscene amount for a top team at home.

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#4 Lacazette breaks his duck

Arsenal FC v Southampton FC - Premier League

Alexandre Lacazette has struggled to find the net since returning from injury in October. In turn, his struggles have severely affected the team’s capability to win games, as the players have unfairly and solely relied on Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang to bail them out.

Today’s brace against Southampton was the 28-year-old’s first time hitting the net in seven games, since scoring in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham.

A lot has been made about the future of the Frenchman, with many stating that he’ll be gone in the summer if the Gunners don’t qualify for the Champions League. Well, if he doesn’t pick up his goalscoring form that will turn into reality soon, and it’ll be as much his fault as any of his teammates.

At the end of the day Lacazette is a £46.5million player, and three PL goals this season isn’t good enough. Arsenal fans will be hoping that they won’t have to wait for another seven games for the striker’s next goal.

#3 Nicolas Pepe is void of confidence

Was Nicolas Pepe worth the money?

Arsenal’s £72milliion signing Nicolas Pepe hasn’t had the best of starts to life in English football. The Ivorian winger has struggled to find form in a team that lacks identity; he has only scored three goals in 16 games this season, all from dead-ball situations.

Today against Southampton, the 24-year-old came on for Calum Chambers at half time, as Emery looked to change from a 3-5-2 to a 4-2-3-1. And for the first five minutes, the switch seemed to have made an impact as Pepe’s exuberance made the Saints defenders back off.

In fact, Pepe found himself through on goal early in the half, only for him to try and square the ball to Mesut Özil instead. The Pepe of last season would have never passed in that position, just reiterating the fact that he’s completely void of confidence right now.

#2 Encouraging performance for Southampton

Southampton have only won 2 league games this season

It’s not a stretch to say that Southampton should have won this game five times over. Ralph Hasenhüttl’s men had three or four clear chances to kill off the game in the second half.

The Saints raced through a porous Arsenal defence several times, only to be halted by their inconsistent finishing. They rolled into the Emirates and attempted 21 shots on goal, more than the hosts (12) themselves.

For a team that has not won in 11 games, this was a performance of confidence and calmness.

At times, the Saints acted as if they were the home side, regularly keeping the ball in Arsenal’s half. Hasenhüttl can especially be proud of the performances of Nathan Redmond and Danny Ings, two players who held up the ball well and made runs down the flanks to stretch Arsenal’s discombobulated back three.

They may not have won this game, but everyone who watched it knows they should have.

#1 It’s that time again…#EmeryOut

Is Unai Emery's time at Arsenal almost up?

During the international break, the Arsenal higher-ups released a carefully worded statement on Unai Emery’s position at the club. In the statement, they expressed their disappointment at recent results but also their desire to turn things around.

Today’s result was more of the same in an awful start to the season and another reason why the Spaniard should be sacked. In fact, some would point to this match as being the worst one yet.

For the entirety of the second half Emery had Mesut Özil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe all on the pitch at the same time, yet their attacking play was still woeful. The Gunners just about mustered a few shots on goal in the second half, with Southampton dominating the attacking play.

Tottenham’s shocking dismissal of their best ever manager has only infuriated the Arsenal faithful more as they look at their closest rivals taking steps to improve things, while their own board stands still.