Arsenal vs Southampton: Injury Time Penalty Gives Arsenal A Win
Arsenal performed well in spells and appeared to be lacking ideas at times but managed to get the job done in the end. The Gunners struggled to perform at their best against Southampton but showed that they have the character to fight until the end. They dominated the possession stats, dictated the tempo and should have won comfortably. The result was a bit harsh for the visitors, with Southampton still seeking their first win under new manager Claude Puel. Southampton are in the bottom three after failing to win any of their first four games of the season.
Puel was coached by Wenger for seven years when the Frenchman was manager of Monaco and he may have expected a well-drilled team who restricted his side to a game played dominating in midfield.
Arsenal: New Signings Bring In Optimism
The summer signings of Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez for a combined £52million have clearly increased morale at Arsenal. There was an air of confidence amongst those around the ground ahead of kick-off. However, after only a handful of training sessions both will clearly benefit from some time to adjust.
It was Spanish forward Perez who got involved in the equaliser when he found Laurent Koscielny in the box. But the Spaniard had a much quieter debut, failing to have a shot in the first half. His only effort at goal after the break was blocked and he was taken off after 63 mostly ineffective minutes. His debut could be described as ‘quiet’, was replaced by Giroud. The 28 year-old struggled for service, and when he did receive the ball he looked understandably uncertain of the runs his teammates were making. He came out to a polite applause, given that he certainly hadn’t been found wanting for effort.
Mustafi looked composed and confident despite a nervy start and misplaced pass. He also received a standing ovation from the fans after going on a rampaging run midway through the first half. Mustafi looked more assured as the game developed.
Southampton: A Tough Blow To Absorb
The result was harsh on Southampton, who were well-organised at the back and dangerous when they broke forward. They lamented the penalty decision, and the fact the referee had not stopped play in the buildup with Koscielny down injured close to the incident. Indeed, they might have grabbed more from their efforts. Not only did they look like getting a draw, they squandered moments of their own to win it in the second half.
Puel introduced Long at half time, who caused nightmares for Arsenal when they played last Christmas. He certainly had the chances to do some damage again but his finishing was off-key. Long wasted his best chance when he fired well wide after Tadic’s superb flick had left him with only Cech to beat.
Late Drama At The Emirates
Arsenal were slow to get going, with debutant Lucas Perez quiet and Mesut Ozil off-colour. Passes were frequently misplaced, players seemed on different wavelengths, and Southampton began to dominate. Saints took the lead when Dusan Tadic’s free-kick was brilliantly touched onto the bar by Cech, but unfortunately the ball bounced down to rebound in off his back. The goal stirred Arsenal into upping the tempo, as Southampton were pushed back. From the corner, Perez managed an important flick-on to feed the ball into Koscielny’s path who scored the equalizer spectacularly.
Santi Cazorla, who was adjudged man of the match, influenced the game in spells from his deep-lying playmaker role. But the shape of Arsenal’s midfield looked scattered all over the place at times. And was unable to exert any pressure on the Southampton back four.
The second half was as dominant for the hosts as the first was hapless. For long stretches, Arsenal occupied Southampton’s half, stretching and pushing, trying to find a way through. Wenger threw on Giroud, Alexis Sanchez and, eventually, Alex Iwobi too, but his side continued to struggle in front of goal. It looked like Southampton was going home from Emirates with a point. But in the 91st minute, Arsenal’s attempts to force through the defence bore fruit. Jose Fonte grappled with Giroud in the penalty box with referee Bobby Madley pointing towards the spot. With the match deep into added time, Cazorla waited for Forster to start his dive before planting his penalty down the middle for a valuable Arsenal victory.
Arsenal had more possession but lacked incisiveness and south coast side Southampton will rue two excellent chances spurned by Shane Long in the second half. Even though Arsenal managed to nick out with all three points, it was not a confident victory for the side.
Picture Courtesy: PremierLeague.com, Google