Danny Welbeck Double Leads Arsenal Past Southampton in Premier League

Danny Welbeck scored twice on Sunday to give Arsenal a hard-fought 3-2 win over Southampton in the Premier League.

Shane Long took full advantage of a defensive miscue to open the scoring in the 17th minute, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Welbeck turned the situation around before half-time.

Substitute Charlie Austin tied things up just moments after his 72nd-minute introduction, but Welbeck struck again with nine minutes remaining. Jack Stephens and Mohamed Elneny received red cards in injury time.

Here's how Sunday's match played out.

Wenger Rotates, Welbeck Stakes Claim

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger predictably opted to rest a handful of starters with an eye on Thursday's UEFA Europa League match against CSKA Moscow, introducing Reiss Nelson and Welbeck, among others.

The former easily held his own, to the delight of the fans, but it was Welbeck who stole the show with a goal and assist in the first half.

Per football writer James McNicholas, he may give Wenger something to think about ahead of the contest against CSKA:

The 27-year-old initially made headlines for the wrong reasons after the break with a comical miss after Austin had equalised. But before the laughter from the traveling fans had died down, he made up for the error by giving his side the lead again. James Olley of the Evening Standard noted it's all in a day's work:

Mustafi Blunders Away

One player who didn't impress on Sunday was Shkodran Mustafi, who all but handed Long the opener on a platter.

On a hopeful cross into the box, the German didn't make any attempt to play the ball and instead anticipated Petr Cech would make the clearance. The goalkeeper didn't come off his line, and Long took full advantage, sprinting in front of his marker and poking the ball into the net.

Men in Blazers were not impressed:

Aubameyang's Hot Start Continues

Aubameyang scored the equaliser for the Gunners on Sunday―a clever flick past goalkeeper Alex McCarthy―and made some club history in the process:

Austin Strikes Again

Saints more than held their own after the break, and with just under 20 minutes to go, Austin came on to aid the search for an equaliser.

The former Queens Park Rangers forward had a sterling record against the Gunners, and his great run continued, as noted by Coral:

The 28-year-old needed just a minute to find the net, finishing off a quick free-kick routine. Once again, the Arsenal defence made mistakes in the buildup.

Late Drama and Controversy

Both teams had players sent off late, and on both occasions, there was controversy involved.

First, Stephens retaliated after a shirt tug from Jack Wilshere in the 92nd minute, and somehow the Arsenal man got away with a yellow card while Southampton lost their player.

With emotions still running high a minute later, Elneny made the mistake of raising his hands at Cedric Soares. There was little in the incident, but the red card came out again. Eurosport UK summed things up nicely:

What's Next?

Arsenal face CSKA Moscow in Russia on Thursday, while Southampton play host to Chelsea on Saturday.