Southampton vs. Arsenal: 6 Things We Learned
Southampton and Arsenal drew 2-2 at St Mary's in the Premier League in a game the home side dominated from start to finish. The Saints, the better side throughout, could not find the winning goal as the Gunners defense stood firm in the face of great adversity.
Southampton deservedly opened the scoring through Jose Fonte before Arsenal hit back with a quickfire double in the second half. The Saints, however, equalized almost immediately as the game saw a third goal in a madcap six-minute spell.
The scoring never increased despite Southampton forcing the tempo and Mathieu Flamini being sent off for a rash two-footed challenge late on.
Mauricio Pochettino's team were dominant in the first half and snuffed the Gunners out of the game completely. Sam Gallagher, enjoying his first ever Premier League start, ran Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny all over the place.
It would be fair to say that the Arsenal pairing have been one of the best defensive partnerships this season. However, the 18-year-old Scot ran them ragged and caused umpteen problems. He can count himself as being extremely unlucky not to have scored the second goal Southampton's play so thoroughly deserved.
Such was Southampton's control of the game—and of midfield in particular—that the Gunners only had one effort on goal during the first period.
The second half could not have begun more different, as Arsenal forced the pace and scored two goals out of nothing.
The first came from a deft touch by Olivier Giroud after good work on both flanks by Nacho Monreal and Bacary Sagna. The second came from the little wizard that is Santi Cazorla. The Spaniard has been in rare form of late and expertly guided his effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Southampton, to their great credit, restored parity immediately. Jay Rodriguez outfought Sagna in the box and slid the ball back to the penalty spot for the onrushing Adam Lallana to fire home.
From there, normal business resumed with the Saints dictating the game.
They could not, however, find a way past Wojciech Szczesny as Arsenal defended resolutely. Flamini was given a straight red for a two-footed lunge on Morgan Schneiderlin, but the reduction in numbers had little effect.
If anything, the sending off further galvanized the Gunners, and they played some of their best football of the game in the last 10 minutes.
As Southampton pushed everyone forward, they had a legitimate claim for a penalty turned down when Koscielny handled the ball in the box.
In the end, Arsenal stood firm and held out for what could be a very valuable point come May.
Here, Bleacher Report offers six things we learned from Southampton vs. Arsenal.
Wojciech Szczesny Made a Mess of Jose Fonte's Goal, but It Came Good in the End
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Wojciech Szczesny has been one of Arsenal's unsung heroes this term. The Polish international's game has improved leaps and bounds in the last 12-months. His form convinced Arsene Wenger to award the 23-year-old, with over 160 first-team games to his name and a new long-term contract signed in November, according to the club's official website.
Arsenal's fans may have cried foul for the way Jose Fonte used his arm to climb over Nacho Monreal, and they would be right. However, the effort Szczesny made in trying to save the header was poor to say the least. He will be extremely disappointed with himself, as will his manager.
To be fair, Szczesny did save Arsenal with a number of top-drawer saves. If it were not for his excellent double-save in the dying minutes, his team would have left St Mary's with nothing.
This kind of mistake in isolation is just that, a mistake. The Pole will now have to be vigilant not to make any more mistakes of such a casual nature this term.
Arsenal now enter the most important part of their season. They face Liverpool, Manchester United and Bayern Munich over the course of the next month.
One more mistake of the same nature, and their season could be over.
Southampton's Youth Academy Is One of the Best in England
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Southampton's answer to suspending Dani Osvaldo for two weeks for fighting on the training ground, per BBC Sport, was to replace him with teenage prodigy Sam Gallagher.
The 18-year-old all-action centre-forward came in for his first Premier League start of the season against Arsenal. Last week in the FA Cup against Yeovil, he was given his first-ever start and duly responded with his first senior goal.
The highly mobile 6'4" Scottish youth gives the Saints a superb out ball, as he is comfortable protecting possession with strength or in running down the flanks. When he was drifting wide, he pulled Laurent Koscielny out with him, which left a huge gap through the center. The youngster's intelligent movement even caused problems for Mikel Arteta, as Adam Lallana then took up the striker berth when the youth dropped deep.
In 1988, a certain Alan Shearer made his debut against Arsenal and promptly scored a hat trick.
If Gallagher can have half the career Shearer had, he will be a star.
One ironic thing occurred when Gallagher was substituted in the 70th minute, having run himself into the ground. As the youngster left the pitch to great applause, Arsenal also made a substitute and introduced Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He too is a graduate of the Southampton academy, alongside Theo Walcott.
Mesut Ozil Looks a Spent Force
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TalkSport's Adrian Durham, writing for the Daily Mail, has questioned Mesut Ozil's work rate of late.
Against Fulham recently and Tuesday against Southampton, the German international was barely in the game.
He looked a peripheral figure and seemed to be going through the motions. Since the beginning of December, WhoScored have only awarded Ozil over 7/10 just once.
The Saints dealt with the lack of pace in Arsenal's midfield all too easily.
Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini are, when it comes to speed, best described as mid-paced. In terms of play, their distribution was also too slow, and Ozil was snuffed out of the game.
The surprise effect he brought to Arsenal's team in September has all but disappeared, and team's now know how to neutralize his efforts. It must be said that Arsene Wenger did assist Mauricio Pochettino by selecting Flamini and Arteta together at the base of midfield.
Jack Wilshere, who has impressed so much lately, missed this game with a niggling injury. Aaron Ramsey also missed out. Both players are expected to be back this weekend when Arsenal entertain Crystal Palace at the Emirates.
It would be no surprise to see Ramsey return to central midfield and Wilshere take up the attacking central role as Ozil is dropped to the bench.
Aggressive Full-Backs Changed the Complexion of the Game
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Arsenal, as an attacking entity, were null and void during the first half. With his midfield causing problems and a lack of central options on the bench, Arsene Wenger ordered his two full-backs to be more aggressive in the second period.
Neither Bacary Sagna nor Nacho Monreal got past the halfway line in the first half. They allowed the attacking threat of Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana dictate the tempo of the game.
Within in the first 10 minutes of the second half, both full-backs had a hand in Arsenal snatching a barely deserved lead. Their more aggressive attacking mentality forced Lallana and Rodriguez back into their own half, where they are less comfortable.
Rodriguez, in particular, was easily out-muscled by Sagna when the Frenchman won Monreal's cross before firing across goal for Olivier Giroud's equalizer. Minutes later, Santi Cazorla had put Arsenal ahead with a sublime finish with the outside of his wand-like left foot from the edge of the box.
The move initiated in the right full-back position with Sagna.
Full-backs are an essential attacking threat in the modern age because so much of the game begins with them. Sagna and Monreal were not brave enough to push forward until their manager ordered them to. It is important they do push on, because in this instance, attacking is the best form of defense.
Adam Lallana Must Make the Trip to the World Cup in Brazil
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Adam Lallana has been a revelation this season.
The recently capped English international is one of the most flexible players in the Premier League. He is comfortable in any one of a number of positions across midfield. However, he is best utilized in the final third.
He has featured in all 23 of Southampton's matches this season and rightly wears the captain's armband.
His six goals, five assists and 33 goalscoring chances created, according to Squawka, mark him out as a very dangerous player. His best qualities, however, are his honesty and work rate. Regardless of where he is played by Pochettino, he puts in a performance and causes problems for the opposition.
As one of the most technical players in the Premier League, he must surely make Roy Hodgson's team for the World Cup next June. The only thing that will stop him from going will be injury. If he can continue this form, he may even find himself a regular in the team.
Arsenal's Defense Deserves Huge Credit
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Once again, Arsene Wenger and his team have their defense to thank.
Make no bones about it, Arsenal would have got nothing from this game if it were not for the defensive contributions of Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna and Wojciech Szczesny.
They were easily Arsenal's best players, and while Szczesny can be blamed for Southampton's first goal, they would have been hammered without them.
Szczesny made at least four top-class saves, and Mertesacker and Koscielny battled throughout.
Arsenal's defense was in a rearguard action for most of the game as their midfield conceded the central battle ground completely.
Their back line was under constant pressure throughout, especially after Flamini was sent off. While Wenger will obviously be furious with how his team played, he should be overjoyed with his defense's contribution.
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