By Walter Broeckx
Arsenal starting with : Cech, Bellerin, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Ramsey, Özil, Alexis, Lacazette. On the beach we had Ospina, Maitland-Niles, Coquelin, Wilshere, Iwobi, Giroud, Welbeck.
The first real attack from Southampton and Austin scored. Arsenal losing the ball in their own defence and Southampont with a quick move setting on his own and he made no mistake. 1-0 after 3 minutes.
Kolasinac tried to reply with a long run but he overran the effort and lost the ball. Austin then again almost away but Cech stopped the low effort. Bellerin and Kos losing the ball high up the field but luckily the offside flag went up. Austin then hitting the post but he was well offside and the flag went up. Arsenal really having a bad start to the match. Only after some 10 minutes Arsenal starting to use the ball a bit but no real goal chances apart from Alexis having a shot on the turn but straight at the keeper at the stroke of 15 minutes.
Arsenal then with a copy book counter over Alexis – Bellerin to Lacazette but a defender slid in just when the Frenchman wanted to take his shot and saved for a corner. The ball bouncing in the Southampton penalty area after the corner but no Arsenal player could take a shot at goal and Southampton could clear. A tame shot from Ramsey and an infiltration from Bellerin but he just overran the it. Southampon pressing up high up the pitch getting a free kick and Cech has to puch it over his crossbar for a corner. The ball is not really cleared and the ball bouncing dangerously in the Asenal penalty area but luckily ending in the arms of Cech. Arsenal get a free kick but Southampton can clear almost start a counter but som strong tackling prevents the counter. Arsenal stil 1-0 down after 30 minutes.
Alexis and Ramsey running in each others way when a ball falls almost kindly for Arsenal and then seconds later Alexis with a low cross to Ramsey who has a goal bound shot but a great stop from the keeper preventing an equaliser. Alexis with a ball to Bellerin and his low cross finds Lacazette but he blazes his effort wild over. Cech first heading a ball away and a bit later slipping but he can get up in time to smother any possible danger. Arsenal has to watch out for the Southampton counters. Cech being very attentive so far. Arsenal cannot score in the first half and we go in at half time 1-0 down.
Arsenal pushing Southampton back around their own penalty area for minutes but they defend with all 11 players and it difficult to find openings. Kolasinac close to some openings but always a body in the way. So no real goal chances for the moment. Still 1-0 down after 60 minutes.
Out of nothing Romeu shoots from distance and hits the crossbar. Cech looked to have it covered. Welbeck will be the first to come on and Per goes off after 63 minutes. That will mean we go to a back 4 I tink. When Koscielny loses the ball Southampton can break and they are one on one with Cech but the shot goes wide. Koscielny then with an excellent tackle to prevent another Southampton counter. Monreal at the other end with a shot from distance after an Arsenal corner but it went wide. Jack Wilshere comes on for Xhaka after 68 minutes. Arsenal attack but nobody dares to take a shot it seems? Giroud also getting ready to come on. Lacazette is the one who goes off after 71 minutes.
Bellerin gets a yellow card for stopping a Southampton attack. The match now very much standing still whenever the ball goes out as Southampton taking all the time and more to run down the clock. Stephens gets a yellow card finally for time wasting. Romeu gets one for stepping on the foot of Wilshere. Alexis with the free kick but Foster punches it away. And finally Alexis with a cross and Giroud heads it over the line. GOAL ! 1-1 after 87 minutes. A glancing header from the Frenchman.
Wilshere gets a yellow card for a tackle from behind. Ramsey can’t run anymore so Arsenal in fact playing with 10 man. But he still manages to get in the Southampton penalty area but his backheel is too soft to beat Foster. Arsenal has to be satisfied with a draw. A typical day at Southampton like we have had a lot over the last years. But this time we managed to get a point in the end. We didn’t play as well as we could today and again were taken cold from the start. Something we should start working on as it also was the case when we played against Manchester United.
Iv’e heard it all now, apparently no penalty for the foul on Lacazette because no-one appealed.
This from Graham Poll….
‘Former Premier League referee and Sportsmail columnist Graham Poll thinks because no Arsenal player appealed it would be tough to award a penalty.
‘It’s a classic example of over analysis and trial by video replay,’ said Poll.
‘Lacazette gets his shot away and it’s sailing over the bar. Whilst he’s caught late and is fouled while the ball is still in play no Arsenal player appeals and no referee would give a penalty in such circumstances.
‘However, it is a foul and so technically it is a penalty as contact happens before the ball goes out of play.’
Mick, if we appeal we are moaners, if we don’t appeal…we don’t get the penalty we deserve….
Lewis can now probably put Poll in his little list.
Thanks Walter. At least we are still above the Poulet.
Well done Gunners, it could have been worse, at least we remain in touching distance with rest of the chasing pack. COYG!
In other games.
I gather the Ladies game versus Liverpool has been postponed due to weather.
I don’t see anything about the U23 versus Man$ity.
Thanks for the write up Walter.
Liverpool!!!! have to settle for a point, which is good news.
Graham Poll is a dork.
It looked to be one of those ‘bad day in the office ‘ days, so am glad that the payers kept their heads and earned point.
We should have got a clear penalty as the player was late and got none if the ball and quite a bit of our player.
A foul no doubt in any other part of the ground and a card to boot.
Then again Arsenal is less than equal in the eyes of the PIGMOB.
Up the Gunners !
With Liverpool dropping points , and Manure about to inflict City’s first defeat (?) , maybe there will be something to cheer ?
When an incident is as blindingly obvious as that foul why should we have to appeal for the penalty. The referee should be pointing to the spot without hesitation. It would be a clear foul and yollow card for an over an out of control. Halle he anywhere else on the pitch so to say no penalty because we didn’t appeal for it is rediculous.
@Gord
The U23s won by the only goal of the match Jordi Osei-Tutu got it early in the second half. Full write up on Jeorge Bird’s Arsenal Youth website.
I think the time is ripe for Sanchez to be dropped.
Apart from the cross for the goal, which may be regarded as more Giroud’s skill than his, he was terrible.
Ozil was trying but they parked the bus with such efficiency there was never any way through.
It is a shame none of them thought of doing that thing that some players do, shoot.
jigsol – not wrong about shooting but Sanchez is magnificent. He has been forced to play the pass rather than to shoot. It is time for the coaching to allow attack rather than passing into the goal.
Thanks Walter.Strange subdued performance, and a need to sort out some of our defending, I wonder if its a confidence issue
as for appealing pens, gets us nowhere. The players certainly did appeal those stonewallers against Utd, got nowhere
but take the point,perhaps we could try being a bit more cynical, as others do, and see where it takes us, not sure the manager is really up for such tactics these days though.
The only good thing about that performance, we didnt lose, and if the excellent Ramsey is injured, cometh the hour, cometh the Jack, maybe
Thanks for the report Walter. Just on a non football subject, I was in Brussels the last three days and saw the Great Square for the first time. I know it is a famous tourist attraction, but it really deserves it. It’s beautiful.
Arsene was not happy with the time wasting and blamed players for doing it and referees for not stopping it. So many teams do it against us and it really is a cowardly way to play football that spoils the spectacle.
Anyway, Giroud has now equalled Solsjaer’s record in goal scoring as a sub. He is truly a hero!
Jack was targetted by a stamp on his foot & the referee Bobby blind mouse didn’t book the tackle with a red card.
I watched the match live and I am disappointed the Gunners did not win the match as I thought they would.
Who are the Saints if we compare them with the Gunners? What is the squad value of the Saints starting XI that started this match in today’s transfer market in comparison to that of Arsenal? I believe the squad value of the Saints will be far far lower than that of Arsenal. But yet Arsenal were held by them. Save BFG, all the regular staters in Arsenal team I started the match but none of them had the necessary composure before shooting in front of the Saints area to trouble Forster who manned the Saints goal.
As far as I am concerned, Bellerin and Welbeck were washouts in this match for Arsenal as the duo did not contribute anything tangible in the game for Arsenal other than to be running and roaming about on the field of play. If not for the Arsenal team II player – Olivier Giroud who rescued us from shame by heading Sanchez’s lob into the back of the net, we would have lost the match.
For their show of lacklusterness in front of goal to score goals and win games in 2 consecutive PL matches that saw Arsenal collecting only a point out of the six on offer, I think Le Boss must tinker with his current Arsenal team I players to rejunvinate the team by dropping Xhaka for Coquelin to start and of course Wilshere should replace the injured Ramsey while I also think Bellerin should be dropped for Debuchy to start when Arsenal play David Moyes’ rebirth West Hammers on Wednesday night’s at the London Stadium in a PL match Arsenal must win and stop dropping points.
I agree with Samuel regarding Bellerin being rested in favour of Debouchy. Hector was poor today and seemed to be caught out of position a lot, he seemed sluggish as well getting back into position compared to his normal lightning fast recoveries. Most of the Saints attacks came down his side, maybe a rest would do him good.
The team did not look like they even had an interest in playing today.
The thought “cold oil” could be used to sum up their effort and we deserved to lose according to performance.
Still our super sub managed to get us a point which calmed the nerves.
Anyway, our frailties are appearing again, showing that the cracks papered over are beginning to rip apart.
I still say that there is something inherently wrong with our training and attacking mentality, not to mention the defense, which might have had the excuse that SOU were well prepared and executed their game plan excellently.
They stopped us from playing at every turn and we had no response to thwart that.
This was one of the games that we tend to lose and for sure i did expect the loss as commented in a previous article.
Luckily, yes, luckily Giroud managed to do his thing after a great cross from Alexis.
Para
Why do you describe our equalizer as ‘luckily’? It was in fact a very good goal, the culmination of relentless attacking through threequarters of the game. You could with more justification call Southamptons goal lucky because we started the game with a half asleep defence which gifted them the chance to score after 2 minutes.
I don’t know about you guys, but at some point I am starting to have doubts.
1) I just can’t explain why Arsenal get caught out so often in the first 10-15 minutes of games. maybe there is some stat that shows goals taken by period like there is one that shows goals scored by period. But the feeling I have (not backed by facts, so I call it a feeling) is that it happens way too often and I just cannot understand why it keeps on happening. Have them take coffee before the game ?!?! I mean, why so much sloppiness, so much difficulty getting into the game ?
2) playing in a bus garage seems to be more and more the norm. It is not like we have not been confronted to it in the past, but it seems like more and more teams are just doing that against us. And each time it happens, Arsenal look at a loss – where other big six teams regularly just rip through the defence. And this is something I’ve witnessed for years and am still amazed that no tactical solution was found to address it – other then a late Giroud header that many times saves Arsenal from defeat. Why do other big Six teams manage wins ? And yes I am aware the refs have an influence. But sure it cannot only be that ?
BBC match report
“Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his side’s slow start in games is becoming a problem, after they scraped a draw against Southampton.”
“Just as against United, Arsenal spent plenty of time on the ball in the second half, with 70% possession after the break – but moments of real concern for the Southampton defence were rare before Giroud’s equaliser”.
So in yesterday’s games most shots on target were Man City with 7. Arsenal had 6. But apparently we “scraped a draw”. And why bring the Man U game into it without mentioning the fact that we absolutely pummeled. Surely an unbiased reporter would be saying “unluckily, after out shooting their opponents in consecutive games, Arsenal were again unable to get the result they deserved.
Oh, and no mention whatsoever of the “penalty”………………..they’re a disgrace.