Southampton vs. Arsenal: Key Takeaways From Arsene Wenger's Press Conference

Arsene Wenger doesn't believe the scoreline reflected the game, despite seeing his Arsenal side battered 4-0 by Southampton at St. Mary's on Boxing Day.

The Gunners chief was instead left irked by what he considered three goals that shouldn't have stood. Wenger also felt Saints forward Shane Long, who grabbed a brace for the hosts, got away with too many fouls.

But the Arsenal gaffer couldn't deny his team had lost the physical battle in midfield. Although he did downplay the chances of a mooted early signing in the January transfer window who might help in this area.

Speaking after the game, Wenger questioned the legality of Southampton's first three goals, according to John Cross of the Daily Mirror:

The Saints went one up after right-back Cuco Martina had thundered home a spectacular half-volley in the first half. Wenger clearly had questions about the positioning of certain Southampton players when the shot came in.

He was also disputing the build-up to Long's opener. Finally, Wenger clearly felt the corner Jose Fonte headed in for the third should never have been given.

In his interview with BT Sport, Wenger provided more details about the first of Long's two goals, (h/t Goal.com's Matthew Rogerson): "The second one was a foul on [Laurent] Koscielny and that was the turning point but the referee didn't see it, then we were exposed on counter-attacks."

Long was a particular target for the Frenchman's complaints. He felt the bullish striker pushed the boundaries and roughed up his defence, per Arsenal's official Twitter feed:

Long did indeed menace centre-backs Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker all night. His pace and tenacity proved too much.

Wenger highlighted the rough-and-tumble nature of this game, according to Simon Peach of the London Evening Standard:

But Wenger was forced to admit his players hadn't met the physical and mental demands, even if he still felt the refereeing hardly favoured his team:

The Gunners were too easily bullied in the middle. Victor Wanyama, a mooted Arsenal transfer target, per Cross, simply bossed the game.

Perhaps hoping to add more strength, the Gunners are reported to have agreed to a January deal for FC Basel holding midfielder Mohamed Elneny, according to Swiss source Aargauer Zeitung (h/t Metro's Will Giles).

But Wenger played down those suggestions after his tough defeat:

This result calls into question the validity of the Gunners' challenge for this season's Premier League title. It's certainly a major letdown following the recent 2-1 win over fellow contenders Manchester City.

But former Arsenal full-back-turned-TV pundit Lee Dixon doesn't think this defeat is the death knell for his old club's challenge. Instead, he's called for some perspective:

Dixon has a point, but without more strength and depth in the middle, this result will just be a reminder of the soft underbelly that can undermine Arsenal in any game.

With midfielders Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere all still injured, Wenger knows he needs help. The loss of Alexis Sanchez, along with the prolonged absence of Danny Welbeck, is also proving costly up front.

Wenger must take this game as a cautionary tale for the dangers of relying on a thin squad. The January transfer window has to be used to provide some relief for these wounded Gunners.