ARSENAL 0 SOUTHAMPTON 2

BY AYODELE ODUMADE AT THE EMIRATES STADIUM

In the last two seasons Southampton were knocked out at the quarterfinal stage of the League Cup. They reached the semi final on the third attempt as they beat a makeshift Arsenal team comfortably.  Southampton are now just three games away from winning their first major trophy in 40 years.

In all Arsene Wenger’s years as Arsenal’s manager, he has never fielded a full team for a League cup game.  He has always used the competition to blood young players.  He did not change the status quo here.  In his programme notes he acknowledged that Southampton have been “the most prolific producers of top talent in England over the last 15 years.”  Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also came from that production factory.

Despite the continued selling off of key players season after season, Southampton have continued to hold their own in the Premier League and their progress to the group stages of the Europa cup is further testament of their prowess.

With 13 minutes on the clock Ryan Bertrand received the ball inside the Arsenal half and raced down the wing and fizzed a low cross which evaded the Arsenal defence but fell to Jordy Clasie who without taking a touch rifled the shot into the Arsenal net to give the Saints a deserved lead.  He was Clasie by name and classy by nature. Southampton did not rest on their slender lead as they closed Arsenal down at every opportunity. Bertrand continued to give them width down the left and joined the attack at every opportunity.

As the clocked ticked down to half time Sofiane Boufal closed the Arsenal defence down, nicked the ball and drove towards the Arsenal goal. He passed to Bertrand who did what any striker would do and hit the ball across Emiliano Martinez to double the Saints’ lead.  Southampton led 0-2 at the break and the Gunners left the field to a chorus of boos from their fans who expected more from them.

After the break Arsenal briefly rose from their slumber as Alex Iwobi went on a mazy run and found Carl Jenkinson who in turn found Aaron Ramsey with a pass.  Unfortunately Ramsey was already off balance when the ball came to him and made just about enough connection but Fraser Forster gathered the ball easily.

Virgil Van Dijk brought the ball out of the defence and played it to Boufal who hit a shot across Arsenal’s goal, which was just wide via a deflection.  Arsenal were still in this cup time, just.  When Arsene Wenger brought Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but instead of providing the width required he joined a congested midfield, which was continually shut down by midfield led by Steven Davis.

Within the space of a minute Shane Long should have put the game to bed.  First he dinked the ball just over the bar when the Arsenal keeper came rushing out and seconds later t he shot just wide. 

Understandably gaps were bound to appear in the Arsenal defence as they threw everything at the Saints to try and get back into the cup-tie.

In stoppage time Pierre –Emile Hojbjerg forced a save from Martinez after a mistake in the Arsenal defence.

Long before the final whistle the Arsenal fans had started to depart when they realised that it was not going to be their day. One can only wonder what would have happened if Wenger fielded some more first team players.  Southampton did not travel with Nathan Redmond and Charlie Austin as Long led the line well.  However Van Dijk showed why he is one of the most sought after centre halves in Europe as he gave a master class in defence and did not put a foot wrong all game. Ryan Bertrand was not far behind him as he made a telling contribution including a goal and an assist.  He and Cuco Martina provided the Saints with the much-needed width, which was missing from the Arsenal team.

Traditionally November has always been tricky for Arsenal. Although they fared better than previous seasons with two wins they would be glad to see the back of the month.  A disappointed Wenger said: “We did not defend well. We were not decisive enough in the first half. They were sharper than us.  If you have a handicap of two goals against a premier league team in the first half it is difficult. “