Arsenal vs Southampton: 4 Things We Learned From Stirring Comeback

Arsenal stretched their Premier League unbeaten run to six matches with a 3-1 victory over Southampton on a rainy night at St. Mary’s.

Having steadied a ship on its way to the bottom of the ocean, a Boxing Day victory over Chelsea has reset the course, one that now has its sights set on a European berth. There is still a long way to go before that can become a reality, not least given the set of fixtures to come.

There is renewed optimism though, mostly due to the manner of the midweek victory. Nicolas Pepe coolly slotted home after Arsenal had fallen behind early on, with Bukayo Saka showing equal composure to put the visitors in front just before the break.

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A controlled second half performance saw Southampton rarely threaten with purpose, as an assured defensive display was matched with a tactically astute high press.

What we learned from Arsenal beating Southampton 3-1 in the Premier League

Saka turned provider 18 minutes from time to seal the deal as his delightful first time ball found Alexandre Lacazette with a simple tap-in.

A victory brimming with positives maintains Arsenal’s rich vein of Premier League form, a spell that is essential ahead of Saturday’s visit of Manchester United who are unbeaten in the division since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted the Gunners’ winner at Old Trafford.

Here is what we learned from Tuesday’s win.

Arsenal Win Their First Premier League Match After Conceding First

For all the positive elements of Mikel Arteta’s tenure at Arsenal, one of the most worrying has been their record after conceding the first goal. Indeed, his side had not won a Premier League match having fallen behind this season, a trait that carried on from the previous term.

Before the win at St. Mary’s you’d have to go back to July to find the last time this happened – a 2-1 win over Liverpool on home soil.

It’s interesting as ‘showing character’ is usually the defining element behind why teams are able to fight back from losing positions. This Arsenal side have lacked plenty of that since that July fixture, although not among the whole squad.

Noticeable from the opening seconds were that Southampton were more open than they were four days previously, and were there to be wounded. The likes of Pepe, especially having been at fault for the opener, didn’t shy away from responsibility and took it upon themselves to make more movements off the ball.

While personality is an ingredient to fight, it also boils down to, quite simply, having better players. Thomas Partey is not someone whose head will drop, nor is Emile Smith Rowe. These are players whose mental resilience isn’t affected by setbacks in matches, with that spirit permeating throughout the team.

Would the side have fought back as valiantly were certain members of the squad not present? No chance. They bring professionalism in more than just on-field ability.

Kieran Tierney’s Presence Not Missed

The biggest compliment that you can pay Cedric Soares, and it is a genuine one, is that Kieran Tierney’s absence wasn’t missed on Tuesday.

Don’t get me wrong, there were moments in the game where Arsenal’s attacking intent down the left wasn’t as potent as it could be given the 29-year-old’s obvious restrictions on that flank. Inverted wingers have various tactical nuances that make them effective on their opposite side whereas full-backs are crucial to providing balance and maintaining the speed of moves up the pitch.

However, Cedric was given a role brilliantly thought out by Arteta that saw him play diagonals all match. In not being forced to overlap and use his left foot to extent that Tierney would, Pepe’s interactions in front of him made the spaces on the opposing flank for Cedric to aim for. The third goal was an excellent example of this.

On occasions he and Hector Bellerin were beaten too easily in the first half. Neither he nor his teammate’s heads dropped, however, and the second half in particular he was superb. The best half of football he’s played at the club since joining.

He won’t take Tierney’s place (obviously), although his recent form will spark a debate over who deserves the right-back slot.

Thomas Partey is Still Not at His Best

Thomas Partey’s influence on this team is more than just direct. From his own capabilities, he can sidestep elegantly, carry the ball through lines, intercept, cover, tackle, pick a pass and speed up interaction in the central third. Not a great deal, right?

Apart from what he personally brings to the side, a figure of that finesse in the centre of the park provides mental assurances to those around him. Rob Holding‘s options on the ball increase due to Partey’s ability in tight spaces, the wide players make more daring runs due to his passing range, and Granit Xhaka has more space to move the ball on in possession as the Ghanaian draws in extra opposition players.

His impact is far-reaching, and he still wasn’t anywhere near his best on Tuesday. Clearly his fitness is still lacking as evidenced by him cramping (possibly) up 12 minutes from time. There were some mistakes on the ball that can be easily be put down to match sharpness, while him and Xhaka did both get caught too high up on a couple of occasions.

A lot of that was due to the high press Arsenal were engaged in, as well as the lack of minutes together for him and the Swiss, yet it’s nonetheless an area to work on.

And, despite that, he was still key to that victory. Having such an impact when only at 70% or so speaks volumes of his talent, and the intelligence of his purchase. £45m is some outlay for someone that is almost 28, but he’s got years left in him at the highest level, and Arsenal still haven’t seen that yet.

Praise Be Nicolas Pepe

Three minutes in and the broken record that is Pepe’s Arsenal career had seemingly wound back to track one.

Sleeping on the edge of the box he allowed Stuart Armstrong to run in and, superbly, it must be said, latch onto a neat corner routine. Still, not an excuse for a lack of concentration.

Expecting Pepe to retreat into his shell and resort to attempting the same movement on the full-back 12 times over to no avail, instead he assumed responsibility, took initiative, and has his best Premier League display of the season. By quite some distance.

Out of possession was where he impressed most. His seven ball recoveries were joint-highest alongside Emile Smith Rowe, while another area of his display went unnoticed.

Bernd Leno went long on a few occasions during the match, of which Pepe won seven headers. That 71.4% success rate is surprising, mainly considering it’s not a strong aspect of his. Furthermore, he’s the same height as Yan Valery who was marking him all night.

It boils down to the determination he showed in running off the ball towards both ends of the pitch, and the confidence he gained from his well-taken goal. Tactically the match suited him perfectly, hence Arteta’s decision to field him on the left and to even start him at all.

Well done the manager choosing the right personnel for the occasion, and well done Pepe for taking his opportunity.