'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAX/2gAIAQEAAAAABK//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAF/9oACAECEAAAACP/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAEDEAAAAH//xAAiEAABAwMDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMSAAQFBhMUESEiMZH/2gAIAQEAAT8AudP41xjdZNohRccdWOOuC5dYpAl4gVdaZw3Je2+yJmIir19r/8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgBB/9oACAECAQE/AEktv//EABgRAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQRAAIS/9oACAEDAQE/AKnEJan/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The return of football has not been too kind to the Gunners. After back to back defeats, Mikel Arteta’s men went head to head with their bogey team. A team they have only beaten three times in the last ten meetings.
After a tightly contested opening, Arsenal took the lead as Eddie Nketiah chased down Southampton keeper Alex McCarthy into making a mistake and tapped into an open net. The Gunners would hold onto their lead going into half time.
After the break, Southampton would dominate the ball only for Jack Stephens to get sent off with 5 minutes to go for denying Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang a clear goalscoring opportunity. Joe Willock would stab home a minute later after pouncing on a rebound. The win gives Arsenal their first victory since the lockdown moving them up into 9th place.
Here are 5 talking points from Southampton 0-2 Arsenal
#5 The absence of Matteo Guendouzi
Before a ball had even been kicked, social media was set alight with the reasoning behind Matteo Guendouzi’s disappearance. The Frenchman didn’t just lose his place from the starting XI, he was dropped from the squad entirely. When asked in his pre-match interview, Arteta said his exclusion was due to ‘squad management’. Clearly, the Frenchman was being disciplined for his appalling behaviour against Brighton in which he grabbed Neil Maupay by the throat at the full-time whistle.
Fans of the 21-year-old will hope that this is no more than a bit of disciplinary action and not in line with the rumours of recent days. It’s been reported that Arteta has had enough of the Frenchman’s antics and is keen to sell him in the summer. Leicester City, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all reported to be monitoring the Frenchman’s situation.
#4 The return of Granit Xhaka
Often when players are absent from their team’s poor patch, their ability and influence are exaggerated. Many were left wondering whether Granit Xhaka’s early exit against City had any bearing on the scoreline, I believe not.
Tonight, the Swiss international was declared fit to play and was thrown straight into the starting XI. His impact could be seen immediately as in the first half, Arsenal looked assured in possession and looked at ease playing out from the back. The passing angles the 27-year-old was creating for his CBs was making for a much smoother transition up the pitch in spite of Southampton’s relentless pressing.
In a noticeably confident performance, Xhaka completed 36 passes and made 1 tackle. The midfielder’s wide passing range and ability to switch play helped ease the Gunners out of tight spaces. Even outside of what he did on the ball, Xhaka was constantly seen to be marshalling teammates into position off the ball. A captain-like performance from Arsenal’s former captain.
#3 Out of possession back five
It’s become clear that Arsenal are well and truly out of the race for Champions League football. Instead, the Spaniard can now use the remaining games to implement his philosophy at the club. In effect, Arteta has a free hit at the run-in of the games to experiment with tactics and player selections. Today, the Spaniard experimented with another system, a system that saw the Gunners revert to a back five when out of possession.
Whenever the ball was lost, Saka dropped back into the LWB position, with Bellerín mimicking him on the other side. Tierney who was a LB in possession, tucked in alongside Rob Holding to create the space for Saka to drop into. Even in possession, the back four remained disciplined and Tierney wasn’t seen to venture forward at all.
Although the Gunners came under pressure in the second half, their compact back five allowed minimal space for Ings and Long to run into.
#2 Southampton’s poor home record
When Southampton lost 9-1 to Leicester earlier in the season, many felt that would spell the end for Ralph Hassnehuttl. Instead, the German has staged a mini-revolution at the St. Mary’s taking his team out of the relegation zone to mid-table. So much so that if they had won today’s game, they would have leapfrogged their opponents.
However, their rise up the table has been in no way shape due to their home form but their away form. At the St. Mary’s, Southampton have only won 4 games out of 16, losing 10 in the process. In contrast, the Saints have won 7 games on their travels, one of the best tallies in the league. Today’s defeat only worsens that record but as a team with nothing significant to play for, it won’t mean much in the long run.
#1 MOTM display from Rob Holding
It’s fair to say defending has never been one of Arsenal’s strongest points. Throughout this season they have been criticised for their organisation at the back with players like David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi coming under fire. One player who has not been in the firing line is Rob Holding. The Englishman hasn’t featured much for the Gunners this season, only making 4 league appearances.
Today up against an in-form Danny Ings and powerful Michael Obafemi, the 24-year-old put in a very solid performance. Holding didn’t try to overcomplicate things by dribbling out with the ball, he played short passes and always kept his position, never letting his guard down. In a man of the match outing, Holding won 4 aerial duels, made 8 clearances, and completed 41 passes to help his team keep a rare away clean sheet.
