📰 Table Of Contents
Pre-Match Social Media Commentary
“If they drop points tonight, they are in trouble”
Do Arsenal need to be flawless from here until the end of the season? 💭 pic.twitter.com/nJGlPTNeFp
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 21, 2023
“I don’t think there’s ever a good time to play Arsenal” 😅
Kyle Walker-Peters looks ahead to a vital game at both ends of the Premier League table this evening 📈📉 pic.twitter.com/39yTw6E77I
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 21, 2023
Are Arsenal mentally strong enough to put the last two results past them and finish the season strong?
Peter Drury & @graemelesaux14 discuss.
📺: @USANetwork | #AFC pic.twitter.com/nLt7H8v6Xq— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) April 21, 2023
🗣️ “There’s no doubt that Manchester City have got a far easier run in. If Arsenal want to win this title, they’ve got to go to Manchester City and do something.” @Carra23 on the Premier League title race.🏆 pic.twitter.com/85cO7QU20R
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 21, 2023
🗣️ “I cannot listen to that because every team this season has lost players at certain times.”@GNev2 says losing key players to injuries isn’t an excuse for Arsenal. pic.twitter.com/LzYjxsbXc7
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 21, 2023
Premier League leaders Arsenal have it all to do next week after another disappointing result of late that saw the Gunners drop two points against bottom outfit Southampton during a 3-3 draw at the Emirates on a night when the pacesetters needed to move past a pair of draws against Liverpool and West Ham that featured two-goal lead’s surrendered.
Many expected Mikel Arteta’s outfit to respond accordingly in front of home support against a side that has not won in the red half of north London in the Premier League era and then some, but Rúben Sellés’ side had other ideas during their trip to the capital.
FT: Arsenal 3-3 Southampton 🤯
It ends level. #ARSSOU pic.twitter.com/Adl1x2oIoC
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) April 21, 2023
Saints took a shock 1-0 lead inside 30 seconds after Aaron Ramsdale’s ball out of the back was played right to Carlos Alcaraz for the young Argentine forward to dispatch home low into the far post to stun the Emirates into silence.
Once-loved Theo Walcott cropped up thirteen minutes later to become the villain to give Saints a 2-0 advantage on a night when the Gunners needed a response after a disappointing draw against Werst Ham, with Mikel Arteta’s men looking sixes and sevens in the middle and defensive third’s of the pitch.
Arsenal would roar back six minutes later to cut the deficit in half through Gabriel Martinelli after Bukayo Saka was released down the right channel by Martin Ødegaard for the England international skinned Romain Perraud before playing a ball across the face of goal for Gabriel Martinelli to slam home past Gavin Bazunu. It was the youngster’s fifteenth goal of the season in the league, equalling Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino’s single-season Premier League goal record for a Brazilian.
The Gunners nearly found an equalizer in the fourth minute of added time through Ben White’s near-post flick-on after Saka’s corner, but goalscorer Carlos Alcaraz did well to clear off the goal line to deny Arteta’s troops what arguably would have been a justified equalizer after the league leaders began to impose themselves on proceedings more effectively.
The second half offered the same script as the first; Arsenal dominance with Saints looking to spring on the counter, but the south coast outfit restored their two-goal advantage in the 67th minute when German international Armel Bella-Kotchap rose highest in the box from a James Ward-Prowse corner to nod on to the back boast for an unmarked Duje Ćaleta-Car to head home from close range.
Gabriel Jesus nearly helped the Gunners battle back once again from a close-range volley just one minute later but the Brazilian international could only hit his effort over the ball after having to stretch to the maximum to get on the end of Martinelli’s ball into the area.
Arteta would throw caution to the wind and bring on additional attacking options to give the Gunners any chance of clawing their way back, with Martin Ødegaard finally offering the club a lifeline two minutes from stoppage time when the Norwegian captain ripped a low bending drive into the far post to once again narrow the deficit to a single goal.
And just as they have in times before, through a player who is the undeniable star of the club, Saka pounced in stoppage time to level matters at 3-3 after Bazunu could only parry away Reiss Nelson’s low effort before the England starlet slotted home from close range as the Emirates exploded into delirium into what might just be possible still.
ARSENAL SCORE TWICE TWO MINUTES TO TIE THE MATCH AT 3-3 JUST BEFORE STOPPAGE TIME!
📺: @USANetwork | #ARSSOU pic.twitter.com/ETrktLVBnT
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) April 21, 2023
Moments later it would be Leandro Trossard to come close when his effort from just outside of the box rattled the bar, but Arsenal were now real believers that they could battle back from the depths to secure a monumental result at home.
In the end, a dramatic win was not on the cards for Arsenal on a night where Mikel Arteta’s young side may well have lost any edge they had in the title race in the run-up to next week’s meeting with Pep Guairdiola’s Manchester City in a match that is now likely destined to decide the title winner.
Key Stats & Performers
Arsenal (3.00) 3-3 (1.39) Southampton
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) April 21, 2023
3 – Only Southampton (1) have kept fewer clean sheets in home matches in the Premier League this season than Arsenal (3). Leaky. pic.twitter.com/2eE44hy5rJ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 21, 2023
Arsenal are now unbeaten in 24 consecutive home Premier League game against Southamton:
🏟️ 24 games
✅ 16 wins
🤝 8 draws
⚽ 57 goals scored
🥅 23 goals concededThe Saints in hell in North London. 👹 pic.twitter.com/smq2LktTL3
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 21, 2023
Martin Odegaard’s game by numbers vs. Southampton:
86% pass accuracy
80 touches
33/37 final third passes completed
2 ball recoveries
2 ground duels won
1 key pass
1 goalKickstarted the comeback. 🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/KhLQ8UzXby
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 21, 2023
Bukayo Saka’s game by numbers vs. Southampton:
88% pass accuracy
65 touches
8 ground duels won
5 key passes
5 fouls won
3/4 tackles won
1 big chance created
1 goal
1 assistHe can’t be stopped. 🌶️ pic.twitter.com/fRiYTnBv5X
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 21, 2023
Romeo Lavia’s game by numbers vs. Arsenal:
81% pass accuracy
37 touches
8 ball recoveries
5/8 ground duels won
4 clearances
3/4 tackles won
2/2 dribbles completedWhat a performance in midfield. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/k57hjsRZf1
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 21, 2023
Arsenal Player Ratings
- GK: Aaron Ramsdale – 5
- RB: Ben White – 7
- RCB: Rob Holding – 6.5
- LCB: Gabriel Magalhães – 6
- LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko – 5.5
- RCM: Thomas Partey – 5.5
- LCM: Fábio Vieira – 6
- CAM: Martin Ødegaard – 8
- RW: Bukayo Saka – 9
- LW: Gabriel Martinelli – 8.5
- CF: Gabriel Jesus – 7
- Sub: Leandro Trossard – 6.5
- Sub: Eddie Nketiah – 6.5
- Sub: Reiss Nelson – 6.5
Southampton Player Ratings
- GK: Gavin Bazunu – 6
- RB: Kyle Walker-Peters – 6
- RCB: Jan Bednarek – 6.5
- LCB: Armel Bella-Kotchap – 7
- LB: Romain Perraud – 7
- RM: Theo Walcott – 7
- RCM: James Ward-Prowse – 7
- LCM: Roméo Lavia – 7.5
- LM: Mohamed Elyounoussi – 7
- RF: Carlos Alcaraz – 8.5
- LF: Adam Armstrong – 6
- Sub: Duje Ćaleta-Car – 7
- Sub: Lyanco – 6.5
- Sub: Kamaldeen Sulemana – 6
- Sub: Paul Onuachu – 6
- Sub: Ibrahima Diallo – N/A
