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Arsenal has bounced back from consecutive poor defeats to Manchester United and Everton to secure a crucial 3-0 win over Southampton at the Emirates.
First-half goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Martin Odegaard sent the Gunners on their way before Gabriel headed home Arsenal’s third early in the second half.
Mikel Arteta’s men started poorly with Southampton regularly dispossessing and pushing Arsenal back. The home side was consistently sloppy in possession and did not look at the races at all. Confidence was low and they couldn’t bypass the Saints’ high press.
However, 21 minutes in, the game changed.
Arsenal 3-0 Southampton: 4 talking points from Saints thrashing in the Premier League as Aubameyang is excluded from the squad
A sweeping move that started with Aaron Ramsdale ended with Bukayo Saka squaring a ball for Lacazette who hit his shot first time to give Arsenal the lead. A delightful goal played from back to front. Risk for reward.
Just six minutes later the home side doubled their lead with a header from Martin Odegaard, this his third in as many games. It was a fairly scrappy goal in which Kieran Tierney eventually got the ball out of his feet to dink a header in to find Odegaard, who also used his head to nod home.
Arsenal’s third came in the second half when Gabriel, who already had one goal disallowed, rose highest to head home Gabriel Martinelli’s corner to end the game as a contest. Willy Caballero was flapping.
There were plenty of talking points from Arsenal’s vitally important win over Southampton. Here they are.
1. Aubameyang’s Time is Coming to an End
Arsenal’s captain was left out of the matchday squad entirely for a ‘disciplinary breach’, one later confirmed to be due to him not arriving back from a scheduled trip overseas in time.
This is not the first time for the Arsenal skipper, either; in March he was missing from Arsenal’s win over Tottenham for a breach of pre-match protocol having turned up late. This is simply not acceptable for a Premier League player, let alone the captain of Arsenal.
When in the mood, Aubameyang is one of the best strikers on the planet, however, those days are now few and far between. More often than not, Arsenal is better when he is not on the pitch.
It is a concerning theme with Aubameyang and it is something that needs to be sorted out quickly. For many, the writing is on the way for the Gabon international. While moving him on will be a challenge given his huge wages, it might just be the best thing for a young Arsenal team who needs leadership from their captain, not mediocre performances and horrible attitude.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, Aubameyang’s time with Arsenal could be coming to an end.
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2. Arteta Keeps the Faith With Same Starting Lineup
Mikel Arteta fielded the same team that lost 2-1 to Everton at Goodison Park. Sometimes that can backfire, but today, Arteta was vindicated in his team selection.
It adds to the general strangeness of this team. Just a few days apart, the same set of players can be chalk and cheese.
Given a chance to rectify their errors against the Toffees, every single Arsenal player did their job today. Lacazette led the line well, the midfield ticked over after a poor opening 20 minutes, Odegaard pulled the strings as he continues to get better, and Gabriel Martinelli was a constant threat with his closing down and energy throughout the 90 minutes.
With the win, Arsenal jumped up to fifth in the table, just one point behind West Ham who has a game in hand.
It was a performance that was richly needed after the two-week horror show that was Manchester United and Everton. The Gunners overcame their slow start to put Southampton to the sword in a positive display, all with the same team that produced whatever it was that fans laid witness to on Merseyside.
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3. Gabriel Martinelli Does His Best Alexis Sanchez Impression
That’s obviously hyperbolic, but he was pretty darn brilliant.
After being in the wilderness under Arteta for the first part of the season, Martinelli has started the last three games for Arsenal and has looked every bit of the player he was before his knee injury.
His pace, energy, direct running, and ability to close down opposing defenders for the entire game were a feature against the Saints. On his current form, it is hard to see him dropped to the bench, but with Emile Smith Rowe waiting to come back he will likely see himself pushed out.
It wouldn’t be a shame to see Smith Rowe brought back in, but it would be a shame to see Martinelli miss out. He’s had a run of games in his favoured position and looked as sharp as ever.
He has made good on his three starting berths and was unlucky not to get himself on the scoresheet with a superb curling effort that cannoned off the post in the second half.
It would appear as if Gabi is back.
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4. Aaron Ramsdale is in World Class Form
Right now a very substantial contingent of Arsenal fans are eating humble pie. Everyone is in a food coma they’ve had so many servings of it.
Scoffed at when initially signed, Ramsdale has been nothing but sensational for the Gunners, and against Southampton, his passing range and shot-stopping took centre stage.
If Martinelli had put that chance away in the first half he’d have already got the nod for assist of the season. That pass was sublime.
Arsenal’s first goal can also be massively attributed to him. Ramsdale took responsibility to play out from the back and take on the pressure of Southampton’s forwards closing him down to feed a ball into Benjamin White and once Arsenal was out, it was a matter of seconds before Lacazette fired the ball into the net.
He produced several saves in the second half, another hugely encouraging aspect of his game, even if the majority were relatively routine.
His reaction to Arsenal’s first goal tells you all you need to know about him. He will have the No.1 shirt at this football club for years to come, sitting neatly alongside his England No. 1 shirt. Not just the best English goalkeeper, you’d be hard pressed to find many better across the world with the form he’s in.