Arsenal Move into 5th Place with 2-0 Win at Southampton

Arsenal defeated Southampton 2-0 on the road in the Premier League as they claimed fifth place above Manchester United on Wednesday.

In a lacklustre Gunners display, goals from Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud were enough to grab three points as the hosts faltered.

Shkodran Mustafi replaced Laurent Koscielny in a back three for coach Arsene Wenger as the Frenchman made one change to his starting lineup, enforced by injury.

Saints boss Claude Puel made just one change to his side from the goalless draw at Anfield, with Nathan Redmond brought into the attack at the expense of Sofiane Boufal.

The hosts were quickly on the front foot as they attacked the Gunners, seeking an early opening goal that wouldn't come.

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Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech was busy as he denied Manolo Gabbiadini from breaking the deadlock.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was removed after 36 minutes suffering with a leg injury, forcing Wenger to rotate his options with Hector Bellerin from the bench.

Redmond provided one of the moments of a quiet first half with a shot from 30 yards that was expertly tipped over by Cech before the interval.

Sports journalist Kelechi Nkoro believed fans should have been watching a different game:

WhoScored.com provided player ratings and the vital stats at half-time:

The Gunners were sloppy and appeared to lack motivation at the start of the second half as the Saints dominated the early possession.

Arsenal didn't look like a team desperate to grab a top-four berth, but Sanchez stunned the hosts after a fluid move.

The Chilean superstar slotted home to score the opener after excellent work by Mesut Ozil.

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OptaJoe highlighted the player's contribution:

Arsenal's goal sucked the life out of the Saints, and Puel quickly reacted to make changes from the bench.

However, the game was put to bed by Giroud's header with seven minutes left on the clock.

It was a lacklustre display from the Gunners, and if the Saints had been more potent, they would have at least shared the points on offer.

Cech's first-half performance was significant, and Wenger appeared satisfied as he applauded his team off the pitch.