BEVERLY HILLS, December 16, (THEWILL) –Â More dropped points and another red card mean the pressure is not letting off soon on Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta as their winless run stretches to six Premier League matches after a 1-1 home draw with Southampton on Wednesday.
Compromised by indiscipline, the Gunners will consider themselves fortunate to have avoided a historic fifth home league defeat in a row and to have done enough to get a point from a tie that Southampton will believe they deserved to win.
In all fairness, the visitors did not barrage the Arsenal goal with attacks but they displayed much greater cohesion than their hosts. It was not surprising then, when in the 18th minute, Che Adams split the home defence with a through ball that former Arsenal man Theo Walcott latched on to and coolly clipped a sumptuous finish over an onrushing Bernd Leno for the opener.
The Gunners’ response was not immediate as they still moved the ball around without bite but they improved moderately in the latter stages of the first half. From the left, Bukayo Saka and from the right, Nicolas Pepe, who returned to the squad following suspension, were denied by keeper Alex McCarthy.
In the second half, the hosts picked up the pace so that it was no surprise too when in the 52nd minute, the scores were level.
Saka waltzed by the Saints defence and laid the ball to forward Eddie Nketiah on the edge of the box, whose nifty flick released attacker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to score his first goal in open-play since the first match of the season.
Yet, just as the Gunners were gaining the upper hand, centre back Gabriel Magalhaes received two yellow cards in less than five minutes and was out for an early shower, immediately pushing Arsenal to the brink all over again.
Substitute forward Nathan Redmond, in for the impressive Walcott, very nearly punished the hosts to give Southampton all the points but he smashed Oriol Romeu’s pass on to the crossbar 20 minutes from time. Arsenal’s Rob Holding had enough time to try for goal only to also be denied by the woodwork in stoppage time.
The shared points mean Arsenal remained locked in 15th place on the table while Southampton jump over Leicester, who lost at home to Everton on Wednesday, to third place.
There are no easy games ahead for either side as Arsenal visit Goodson Park to take on Everton on Saturday after Southampton welcome Man City to St. Mary’s Stadium earlier in the same day.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
