Southampton turned up at the Emirates with the chance to condemn The Arsenal to a fifth straight League home loss for the first time in our long history. A return to tighter restrictions meant there were no fans allowed in to witness our efforts to prevent this most unwanted of records.
Mikel Arteta left Cedric on the bench, instead using Maitland-Niles at right wing back. We reverted to a back three, Ceballos and Elneny played in midfield and Lacazette lost out to the returning Eddie Nketiah who was trusted to lead the line. Prayers were answered as Pepe came in for Willian.
The game started without much flair. Both sides looked up for the game but did little with the ball. Saka went down early under a heavy challenge and Gooners everywhere were concerned. After a delay he was able to continue. Would the knock affect his performance?
About 15 minutes in Ward-Prowse whipped a freekick at goal. Leno punched it unconvincingly but no harm was done. Workmanlike Southampton were seeing more of the ball but a minute later Nketiah registered a decent shot at goal, cutting in from an Auba-esque position but unable to put his foot through the finish.
Soon after, disaster struck. As so often in recent times it took very little to see us go behind. The ball was played right through midfield, a sliding Elneny just failed to intercept it, whilst Gabriel came a long way to get close to his man but was turned by the ever-improving Che Adams who then played a well-weighted pass forwards to Theo Walcott who had made a trademark run in the space between Tierney and Saka. The former Gunner dinked the ball over Leno with confidence and wheeled away in celebration. Fair play to him. It was a great run and an excellent finish, and it would appear that he is finding a role in this Saints team that gets the best from him.
Arsenal – 0 Southampton – 1
We responded with more of the same really. In possession we found it difficult to progress the ball through midfield, leaving our front three struggling to get involved. Defensively we held our shape rather than pressed, but Southampton were on top, although not creating clear chances. In a tussle with Walcott, Saka saw the ball bounce up into his arm but, since the silly season that the league began with has passed, that is, once more, not handball.
Pepe found space in the box to latch onto an Auba pass that was actually meant for the lively Saka. His low, hard shot was blocked. We began to improve, for the last ten minutes of the half we were even on top. Pepe put Ceballos through but rather than shoot he tried to turn. His ankle was lightly clipped by the defender. The ref waved play on. VAR did not overrule him. Had he given a penalty it would not have overruled that decision either. Umpire’s call went against us. We could really have done with a bit of luck.
Moments later Saka drove to the byline and fizzed a cross in. Bednarek stuck out a leg and was relieved to see the ball deflect into McCarthy instead of the back of the net. Ceballos found Pepe whose first time shot was again on target but the keeper held it tight. We were getting closer but still lacked that slice of luck that struggling teams sometimes need. Would we find it in the second half?
The second half started with us finally taking control of the football. Six minutes in Gabriel sprayed the ball wide to Saka. His quick feet and sheer determination saw him bounce through three defenders and his pass found Eddie Nketiah who provided a deft touch to take it into the path of Auba. Our captain had the keeper and the pressure that came from his own goal draught to contend with but neither troubled him as he slotted calmly into the bottom corner with the class that he will always possess. I must admit I went a bit nuts. It had been ages since we scored a League goal from open play and I cheered it mightily. And I clapped Saka long and hard. He provided a decisive moment as well as a top performance. We love you Bukayo!
Arsenal – 1 Southampton – 1
I cannot have been the only one who thought that we might just go on to win from there. Could we finally take three points?
There were a few yellow cards. The Saints picked up a couple for late challenges in the first half whilst Danny Ceballos got one for knocking the ball into the ground in frustration. I am a bit confused why this should be a yellow card when he deliberately knocked it straight to the bloke taking the freekick but what our current crop of referees lose in competence they make up for in ego, so we would be wise to avoid giving them reasons to book us. Silly yellow to pick up.
Gabriel gave the ref another reason just shy of the hour mark. He went through the back of Adams high up in midfield. Maybe was lucky not to be booked for the foul. However, he kicked the ball a few feet away to prevent a quick free-kick and Paul Tierney took his name. This was frustrating as the ref repeatedly ignored Southampton’s tactic of standing in front of the ball to prevent us taking quick freekicks. I do not understand why this is rarely penalised when it has exactly the same effect as kicking the ball away? Anyway, play went on and it was hardly a decisive moment, surely?
Our opponents had not shown anything in the second half. We were not excellent but we were on top and applying pressure. Things were looking much better than they had at half time.
However, this team just loves to shoot itself in the foot.
Gabriel again got tight to his man on the halfway line, this time tussling with Walcott. Had a foul been given against Theo for holding he could not have complained, he clearly had his arms around our defender first. However, no foul was given, so when the forward spun past the Brazilian and was hauled down the ref had no choice but to reach to his pocket. A deserved second yellow card in four minutes saw us down to ten men for the three hundred and ninety second time this season.
It was a rare moment of panic from a defender who has been one of the best players in our team this year. It is hard to overstate the impact it had on our chances of taking all three points. Almost immediately David Luiz returned, for the first time since his clash of heads with Raul Jimenez, in place of Eddie. The young striker had worked hard and got an assist yet still not looked quite as effective as we hope he will become. Danny Ings also had a quiet night, yet he might well be a player Eddie could watch closely to see how he might contribute more.
Willock came on for Ceballos, who had been tidy but no more, to bring some fresh legs into midfield and the option of a runner into the space vacated by Eddie. We lost our momentum as we reshuffled and the Saints began to take the initiative that we had so generously handed back to them. Nathan Redmond hit the bar with a half-volley after a ball from the busy Romeu, whose performance showed some steel as well as some class. If we had conceded then it would have been a tough pill to swallow.
We were on the back foot but not under the cosh. Djenepo came on for a lively cameo but his final ball was lacking. Cedric replaced Pepe. Time ticked on. We did not look like scoring but, as we entered the last five minutes, fans across the globe knew how painful it would be if we conceded, even as we hoped against reason that there might be just one more chance for us to snatch a winner.
Holding ran through Djenepo in our box but the forward did not have control of the ball and despite a moment of fear, based on the vagaries of the refs, it was rightly ignored. Kieran Tierney then felt he got an elbow across the chest/face but I cannot comment as no replay was shown. From the resultant freekick Saka whipped in a dangerous ball which Rob Holding headed brilliantly at goal. It was only a half-chance but he rose wonderfully and was desperately unlucky to see his effort cannon back off the corner of bar and post. It was the last real action of the game as we held on for a point, stopping the run of home losses, but once again leaving us to rue what might have been if we had played the entire match with eleven men?
In the aftermath it is worth noting that generally the players worked hard but lacked confidence a little. It is only to be expected given our form. Holding is really growing. He takes responsibility in defence and I like his progress. Gabriel made a couple of costly decisions today. He must learn from them. Pepe is a hugely improved player from the one we signed in terms of his work-rate, positional discipline and desire to contribute when we are out of possession. Yet he needs confidence with the ball at his feet. He is a great talent who needs to start dribbling at players like he expects to go past them. Auba is a top player. His class is undoubted. As a captain he is fantastic around the club and leads by example on the pitch but if he is struggling with his own form then it can be hard to see his in-game leadership. We do need more of that.
We just need three points so badly right now. Hopefully Auba will keep scoring. Hopefully we can build on this point. All things considered we did well to hold on to a draw. But we simply have to stop making our own lives so difficult.
Great report GSD- a very fair summary of events .
I agree with everything you say with the slight exception that I was slightly disappointed with Pepe although this was possibly because he had little opportunity in the second half . He had some decent moments in the first half and was a definite improvement on Willian who has so far provided little menace in terms of goal threat .
I do agree about Holding who shows resolution under pressure and defied Southampton effectively as he did Manchester United and Leeds. The sending-off was pivotal and the two dismissals have possibly cost us five points in two matches . This was an improvement and I was pleased for Auba. I have contempt for those who think he has given up now he has his new contract. He is far too good a club man to allege that .
Cheers TTG.
I thought Pepe was okay. Certainly he was not particularly good yesterday and we will need a lot more from him going forward. But he no longer looks like a defensive liability. When we went down to ten men he played sensibly, trying to protect AMN, and I see that as an improvement. He reminds me of Sterling, who became a far better player, and also a more prolific one, when he really began taking responsibility for the hard graft his position required, not just the ‘fun’ stuff of dribbles and shots at goal.
Of course we do need more from Pepe in the final third. Hopefully that comes. However, Willian does not look like a more secure option if Pepe plays smarter in defence as he did yesterday. And I know which one I back to be unpredictable and dangerous in attack.
Cheers GSD,
I haven’t managed to see the game yet so am hoping Amazon Prime will allow me a delayed start tonight.
In general I think it’s worth noting how Saka has benefitted from his numerous opportunities in the team, albeit not always in his best position. He is quick, hard working, seems quite resilient and had obvious bucket loads of skill.
Surely it must be time to see if others like Joe Willock, AMN in a regular position, I.e. midfield, Martinelli when match fit, Balogun, Nketiah and Nelson – injuries permitting – can benefit similarly. It’s not like sticking with experience in the shape of Xhaka, Willian and A shockingly out of form Lacazette has done us any good.
After all, if you can’t break into this team ………
Good going, GSD. Nothing to disagree with at all.
Auba didn’t seem to smile even after he scored, which shows, I think, how heavily his goal drought and the team’s performance is weighing on him—got to get that grin back on his face.
Once he gets the ball, Pepe can take too long to take on an opponent by which time he has been tripled-teamed by defenders, and he has no room to work in.
Good stuff, GSD. Very much the match I saw though I agree with TTG that you are overly generous to Pépé who had a moderately encouraging first half but who all but vanished in the second half even before we were forced onto the back foot.
The extent of our general decline and current mental and physical malaise is underlined by the contrast of some of our fine victories under AW when we had gone down to 10 men – it did seem to be a regular occurrence – “We only have 10 men…” There was no prospect of this team going toe to toe with the Saints once Gabriel was carded (even though we almost stole 3 points from Holding’s set piece header) and hanging on for the draw both seemed a remarkable achievement and a huge relief!
We still have a long road to travel.
Comprehensive, readable and fair report. Top drawer, GSD. Very top, as a dinosaur must require. 🙂
Eleven men. What’s that?
Found my old sweatshirt lurking in a cupboard drawer and … it still fits. (disclosure – this is not me in the photo)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/football/2018/05/05/TELEMMGLPICT000004487260_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqEXaELxSDTaYQ-fNbTAkfETTnrdKgB3Qq1kthPWEYMVw.jpeg
Shops rammed on the last Friday before Christmas means the plan to buy stuff is abandoned and people can have Amazon vouchers instead. Can you get £1 Amazon vouchers? It’s the thought that counts.
First rate report GSD. Probably our best game since Old Trafford. Lots of highly panicked chat on Twitter and the media are loving the Arsenal in crisis headlines. Stay calm. We’ll finish mid table.
Cheers GSD!
Thanks GSD for a comprehensive and highly readable report.
This article by Balague does a decent job of analyzing Mikel’s current predicament and suggests that we will (thankfully) persist with him and (more thankfully) in the long run that will be highly beneficial. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/55325050
Cynic – I’m sure Stan Kroenke had the same question.
Dr.F
I rarely read anything on the BBC website but this is a balanced article but I do have a particular quibble . It will be no surprise to most of the regular readers !
Balague says Arteta has persisted with Xhaka because he is one of ‘ the leading characters in the squad’. I would say we are struggling because Xhaka is one of the main characters . This is a man who has continually let the club down. He has been sent off several times , made crucial errors , given away stupid penalties , told the crowd to f*** off and on top of that he is the slowest player in Christendom . If we are really saying we are relying on the character of a player like Xhaka we are seriously stuffed. My contention is that he should have gone last year and I thought we showed much more spirit without him on Wednesday .
We all have our blind spots. If Arteta cannot see the reality of Xhaka’s limitations on the pitch then Balague’s optimistic prognostications for his potential as a coach are seriously in doubt. I hope he is simply using him because he is there and the midfield options are so limited (and flawed) and he didn’t offload him in the summer because he didn’t get Partey until the very last minute and we didn’t get the creative midfielder we so desperately need.
I sincerely hope Arteta turns us around and gets the time to do so if those ‘in the know’ are assured that his project is both on track and sure to deliver a competitive Arsenal. However if we are languishing in or around the relegation zone in January I suspect the board’s fortitude and patience will falter. Learning on the job in the Championship was on no-one’s agenda.
The jury is definitely out.
Bath,
I agree with you because the inevitable reality is that to drop close to the relegation zone is not only completely unacceptable but completely unnecessary . The Burnley game really worried me. They are such an awful team and to lose was so frustrating and it was overwhelmingly because Xhaka had another brainfart . If we’d won that game we might have done better against Southampton but even a decent draw would have seemed like stability . Two very challenging games to come will test our resources and the nerve of the board . It might just be that it is Edu they dispense with .
January will be interesting. There’s no money but they need to invest . How committed to this project are KSE ? And can they finally stop being so dysfunctional off the field?
TTG@12: I agree Xhaka is unsuitable for Premier League as his limitations are, if you forgive me this tautology, too limiting. Especially in a league that thrives on speed of thought and movement. I think if he was a “better” player for us the thorniness in his personality would have served us much better than it did. The fact that Mikel chose a newcomer in Partey along with Elneny over Xhaka away at Man United and got the kind of performances he wanted from his midfield to be a very clear indication that Arteta is not at all “blind” to Xhaka’s limitations and is more than willing to look ahead for a time without him. Partey’s injury has been most unfortunate. It is hard to explore these “what if” scenarios but I think it is fair to say that we would probably have have at least 5-6 more points if he were playing consistently in PL now. I think once Thomas is back fit we will see much less of Xhaka in PL.
I think we should really go all out to get two midfielders in the January window. And/or start to think about more creative (and not only for creativity) solutions in the MF with maybe Chambers as a DM as an option (he once fit will do better than Xhaka, he played quite well for Fulham in that role when on loan) and try AMN too in box-to-box role. Definitely play Joe more. Make Dani’s performance more consistent and encourage his creative sides. Play Saka as #10. Etc. etc. Our defense-to-attack link has become so poor in every conceivable way that the key strengths in our attack — pace, finishing, positioning — all get nullified because the ball moves very slowly through the middle of the pitch. Or doesn’t move at all as it goes back all the way to the defense for a long kick.
It’s ironic that given the abundant riches we once had in midfield, we are now so bereft. I am afraid that Xhaka, Ceballos, Elneny, Willock and AMN are simply not good enough to play in and contribute to a team challenging for the Premiership. Willock and AMN have development time on their side but neither show the promise that was immediately evident in Fabregas or even Flamini or Song.
I keep getting flashbacks to Selley, Hillier, Jensen and Carter. It was horrible. So horrible that GG had Seaman and the defenders hoof the ball over them down the channels for Wright, Merson and Campbell to chase. Frankly, it was somewhat more effective than what I’ve been watching this season.
Thanks all.
TTG @12 nails it for me.
I don’t see a lot of leadership in our squad. They are all tough characters who work hard (to make it as a footballer at the top level you have to be) but when we are bringing new players into the squad we have to think about the type of characters we bring in and where our leadership is coming from in the years to come.
KT will probably grow into this role. And hopefully Partey will take this mantle on soon. Apart from those who else do we see who will be leaders for us?
Willock and AMN have development time on their side but neither show the promise that was immediately evident in Fabregas or even Flamini or Song.
Or even the same sort of glimmers of hope someone like Saka has given us. Now Saka might just be showing he’s going to turn out to be another Iwobi, or he might turn the corner and be the exciting player we all want him to be. But I don’t really get the same feeling of hope with Willock, AMN and others.
AMN is going to turn out to be a middling utility man who can be extremely effective at doing a job, and maybe that’s the sort we need more of. The other “bright young things” all seem destined for the likes of Ipswich to me. Early days I know but I just don’t see the promise in them.
Under 23’s beat Leicester 2 -1 this evening .
Goals from Chambers and Balogun
Martinelli not in the squad, so possible he will be named on the bench for Everton game.
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