Football NewsArsenal Leaves Southampton Thriller with Regrets.
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Arsenal managed a draw after being 3-1 down at home to Southampton to squander title hopes and leave Man City in control.

When the team sheets came through at 7pm, Arsenal fans were relieved to see Oleksandr Zinchenko’s name in the starting XI. But where was Granit Xhaka?

Sick and unable to make it to the team hotel, Arteta revealed pre-match. Arsenal was enduring its share of injuries as the run-in looms.

Not for the first time in 2023, a relegation candidate from the south coast scored at the Emirates before plenty of plans got their seats. After Bournemouth struck after just 10 seconds in March, Southampton thought they’d have a go early doors.

Aaron Ramsdale awarded the Saints an early lead when his misplaced pass went straight to Carlos Alcarez. Southampton’s influential January signing made no mistake to punish Ramsade with his third goal for the club in the 27th second.

Things seemed to get worse for Arsenal. After a positive response, the Gunners wobbled again when Martin Odegaard lost possession in midfield. This allowed Alcaraz to release Theo Walcott up against the right-hand side of Arsenal’s defense.

Getting in behind Zinchenko and Gabriel Magalhaes, the former Gunners hero slotted home and made it 2-0 to stun his old stomping ground in the 14th minute. As he respectfully chose not to celebrate, Arsenal’s players were called into a huddle by Zinchenko.

Despite Neville’s remarks of it being “extremely strange”, it got the desired reaction.

With Arsenal in desperate need of a goal, Saka drove down the right in typically fearless fashion. He found Martinelli waiting at the far post. The Brazilian forward, in ferocious goalscoring form, swept the ball home and got the Gunners back in the game to raise the noise levels inside a raucous Emirates.

The goal meant that Saka and Martinelli joined Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only two team-mates aged 21 and under to have both recorded 20 or more goal involvements in a signle Premier League season.

Arteta’s men pushed for an equaliser as the half wore on. But Southampton were resolute. Alcaraz’s goal-line clearance, adding to his goal and assist, epitomised their spirit – only to be subbed off at half-time as Saints boss Ruben Selles brought an extra defender on.

Save for one troubling moment, it was a brilliant first-half spectacle for the neutral. That moment came in the 38th minute when Martinelli snidely nudged into Jan Bednarek as the Southampton defender rose to win a header as Arsenal continued their attacking bombardment.

Bednarek awkwardly landed on his neck and looked in serious pain while receiving treatment, yet he was adamant that he should’ve been allowed to continue once he was back on his feet. Nevertheless, Southampton’s medical staff were rightly steadfast in that the Poland international needed to be substituted to avoid any real damage both in the short and long term.

Even Arsenal doctor Gary O’Driscoll came over to convince Bednarek, who was reluctantly replaced by fellow centre-back Duje Caleta-Car. On social media, fans and pundits alike praised the medics involved, with concussion a growing and serious issue within the beautiful game which is all too often overlooked.

Given Selles’ bemusing decision to bring off Alcaraz and go with a five-man backline, not many would’ve betted on Southampton to get the next goal. But, only fitting for such a barnstorming affair, the Saints crashed in a third goal with their first attacking chance of the second half.

Southampton marched up for a corner and when Armel Bella-Kotchap beat Rob Holding to the first contact, substitute Caleta-Car had a free header to slam past the helpless Ramsdale, with Arsenal sleeping at the back post. It was a goal that rocked the Emirates and the Premier League title race.

If Arsenal fans didn’t believe that they could get something after Odegaard’s strike, they certainly did when Saka scored a rebound to make it 3-3 just as eight minutes of added time were signalled. The Gunners kept on pushing but Southampton’s defence held firm to come away with a draw.