Arsenal stayed top of the table with a 2-0 win over Southampton at the Emirates today. Theo Walcott was back but began the game on the bench, while Jack
Wilshere returned to the starting XI,
replacing the suspended Mathieu Flamini.
The visitors started brightly, keeping the ball well in the opening minutes and pressing Arsenal high up the pitch. Every
time Szczesny had the ball at his feet, a Southampton man sprinted in to close him down.
However, it was Arsenal who had the opening chance of the game when Jack Wilshere almost put them ahead in the 11th minute. Aaron Ramsey clipped a ball
in over the defence, it rebounded from Giroud to Wilshere and as he got close to the goal line he chipped it over Artur Boruc to the far post only to see the ball rebound off the post and roll across the goal and back into the keeper’s arms.
The same post denied the Gunners again when Mesut Ozil found Aaron Ramsey in the box, but the Welshman’s clever back flick from the penalty spot clipped the
outside of the post and went wide. The keeper was nowhere near it.
But in the 21st minute Arsenal were
ahead thanks to Boruc. The Pole had the ball at his feet with loads of time to clear. Instead he tried to be clever,Giroud tackled him and had an open goal from just a few yards out to make it 1-0 .
Referee Mark Clattenburg seemed to be willing to let Victor Wanyama foul whoever he wanted, ignoring obvious fouls in dangerous areas on Wilshere and Cazorla. The Saints responded well to going behind, enjoying a period of
possession and pressure, and when Mikel Arteta miscued a clearance a big Szczesny palm prevented an equaliser.
Arteta was found wanting again in
midfield and a poor pass gave possession back to Southampton who came forward and forced Szczesny into another great save. There were no further chances in
the first 45 minutes and the teams went in level at the break.
Southampton replaced Luke Shaw with Stephen Davis at the break, and Wanyama, amazingly, got booked early in the half for a blatant trip on Cazorla. Adam Lallana tested Szczesny after clever
build up play from the Saints, and as in the first half Arsenal struggled to get going.
But the game ebbed and flowed, like an ebby-flowy thing, and Arsenal began to get back into it. Some intricate build-up play almost saw Ramsey through but
Giroud was flagged offside, and a Kieran Gibbs pass looked like sending the Frenchman clear but for a last ditch Southampton boot.
Mesut Ozil fired a shot straight at Boruc before Jack Wilshere got on the end of a Sagna cross, but unfortunately he couldn’t get any power on the header and it was
easy for the Southampton keeper.
Theo Walcott made his comeback in the 69th minute, replacing Santi Cazorla, before Arsenal lost Mikel Arteta to injury, replaced by Tomas Rosicky.
A Ricky Lambert shot deflected wide with Szczesny completely wrong-footed and from the resulting corner Wanyama fired
a shot over the bar. Laurent Koscielny then made a great last ditch tackle on Rodridguez in the Arsenal box before Arsene Wenger made his final change with Nacho Monreal replacing Mesut Ozil.
Walcott then fired a shot wide of Boruc’s far post after good Wilshere play, but for all the Southampton pressure, and
Arsenal sitting deep, it was the Gunners who sealed the game in the 86th minute. Jose Fonte was spotted pulling back Mertesacker from an Arsenal corner, and
Mark Clattenburg pointed to the spot.
Olivier giroud stepped up, sent Boruc the wrong way and made it 2-0 to ensure the game was no more a contest.
The win ensured arsene wenger's men go 4points clear at the top of the table after the merseyside derby ended in a 3-3 draw.
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