Match Report: Arsenal Miss Chance To Go Top as Saints End Five-game Winless Run
To wrap up the full Boxing Day fixture list, Arsenal travelled to Southampton in a bid to move to the top of the Premier League after Leicester fell to a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool earlier in the day. Saints entered the encounter on the back of a five-game winless run and despite home advantage, were not expected to pose too much of a threat to a confident Gunners outfit. With a host of first team regulars missing out for Ronald Koeman's side, the visitors were indeed expected to come away with all the spoils.
However, any sort of script that was penned was banished to the St. Mary's catacombs as Saints upset the odds on Saturday evening. The opening goal came from an unlikely source as Cuco Martina marked his first Premier League start with a stunning outside-of-the-boot strike from 25 yards. While Cedric Soares sidelined with a knock, Martina was drafted in to replace the Portuguese right-back and certainly didn't disappoint against Arsenal. The defender's thundering effort - his first in English football from his first shot - got the ball rolling in what was a hugely spirited performance from Saints to return to winning ways.
While in no real danger of dropping into the relegation zone, Saints' downturn in form was cause for concern for all those at the club. A five-game winless run, four of which were defeats, had the club peering cautiously over their shoulder, but the manner of their win over Arsenal certainly will have boosted morale for the week ahead. The Gunners were recently installed as title favourites for the first time since December 2013, but a thoroughly underwhelming display at St. Mary's will have done little to suggest they warrant such a tag.
Reason for that was Saints' constant pressing of their Premier League counterparts, with the tenacious Shane Long setting the tone in the final third. While Graziano Pelle's absence could well have been a blow for the hosts, Long did all he could to ensure Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny were hardly given a moments' rest over the 90 minutes. While there was a hint of a foul on Koscielny in the build up to Long's first and Saints' second, the Republic of Ireland's double was little more than he deserved for his all-energy display. This resonated throughout the team, with those behind Long doing all they can to limit the influence of Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and co.
That was best showcased in the display of powerhouse Victor Wanyama. The Kenyan has endured a disappointing season to date, that in part due to the departure of Morgan Schneiderlin, but chured out one of his finest performances of the campaign against Arsenal. Wanyama made more tackles (6) and won possession in the midfield third more times (6) than any other player in Saints' 6-0 win over Arsenal, with his all-action outing denying Ozil the creative freedom he craves in the final third. It's no coincidence that, with Wanyama marshalling the midfield, Arsenal's creator in chief failed to have the desired effect.
Without the time and space to swing the tie in Arsenal's favour, Ozil's input was limited, contributing to a miserable WhoScored rating of 6.15. The away side's lack of offensive fluidity was aided by Hector Bellerin's inability to stretch the opposition. The Spaniard looks to break forward at any given opportunity and provide the width to this Arsenal side, though was kept in check by the unheralded Steven Davis. The 30-year-old worked tirelessly to ensure Bellerin was unable to make his mark in the encounter. However, as he was regularly pegged back, and with Nacho Monreal the more conservative of the two full-backs, Bellerin was forced to play the ball inside, which benefitted the south coast side.
Once Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini were in possession the Saints attack rushed the pair to ensure the were unable to play the ball forward to Ozil. With Sadio Mane maximising his energy on and off the ball, the Senegal international was able to not only limit the Gunners' offensive moves, but instigate attacks of his own. No player completed more dribbles than Mane (3) in the encounter, while one of his two key passes resulted in an assist.
Of course, it's Long who will earn the plaudits are rightly so following a mature performance from the striker. With Ronald Koeman after the game confirming that Graziano Pelle will sit out Monday's meeting with West Ham, the Saints boss will look to Long to again lead the Saints attack once more and if he churns out another impressive display, the south coast side stands a much stronger chance of securing back-to-back league wins.
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