Arsenal 3-0 Southampton: 4 negatives for Arteta’s side

4. Arsenal Have to Clean Up Their Finishing

Lacazette gets a bye on this purely because he didn’t shoot. As for some of the others, while Bukayo Saka and Martinelli’s efforts that struck the woodwork were well crafted efforts that they were unlucky to see not go in, the overall level of finishing at Arsenal is poor.

That falls on everyone’s shoulders. Xhaka and Partey weighed in with some ballooning efforts of their own.

In 16 matches this season Arsenal have struck the frame of the goal ten times, more than any other side in the division. The standout ones are Aubameyang and Nketiah’s outstanding misses from a collective distance of half a yard, but they point to a wider issue.

As atrocious as the Everton game was, the chances missed in that one could have seen Arsenal leave with far more than they deserved.

All of which makes it hugely positive to see goals coming from the likes of Odegaard and Smith Rowe. When you’ve got a strike force desperately low on confidence – and a fair bit of quality – you need to share the goals around.

There were 15 shots from Arsenal with five on target, but beyond the ones taken there are also the ones that weren’t taken (a la Lacazette). For all the work being done on playing out from the back, there has to be more of a clinical edge in the finishing.

Arsenal should have scored seven against Southampton.