Ralph Hasenhuttl records first Saints win to end Arsenal's unbeaten run

Arsenal: A look back at 2018

A late goal by substitute Charlie Austin gave relegation-threatened Southampton a thrilling 3-2 victory over Arsenal on Sunday in new Austrian manager Ralph Hasenhuettl's first home game.

It was the Londoners' first defeat in 23 games and meant they lost ground on fourth-placed Chelsea, while Southampton moved out of the bottom three.

Danny Ings, back after injury, headed two fine goals in the first half from equally good crosses by Matt Targett and Nathan Redmond.

In between, Mkhitaryan drew Arsenal level with a header of his own and early in the second half he scored via a big deflection.

Yet in the 85th minute Austin, who had come on for the tiring Ings, headed in a cross by Shane Long.

The win sent Southampton above Burnley into 17th place while Arsenal remained fifth in the table. Reuters

Preview

What time does it start?

Southampton vs Arsenal kicks off at 1:30pm (GMT)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is in fine form for Arsenal (Getty Images)

Where can I watch it?

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports’ Premier League and Main event channels from 12:30pm. Sky Sports subscribers can also watch the game via the Sky Go app.

The match will also be available on NOW TV by grabbing a day pass for just £7.99.

Highlights will be shown at 10:15pm on BBC Two.

Player to watch…

Laurent Koscielny: The 33-year-old returned to first-team action on Thursday following his Achilles injury which had kept him out of action since May. The Arsenal captain was largely untroubled by the Qarabag attack but he may face a tougher test against the likes of Charlie Austin when they travel to the south coast. The Gunners have won just once at St Mary’s in their last six visits, conceding 10 goals in the process, and despite Southampton’s plight this season history is certainly on the side of the Saints.

Form guide…

Southampton: DLLDLL

Arsenal: WWWDWW

Odds…

Southampton to win: 14/5

Arsenal to win: 19/20

Draw: 14/5

(Odds provided by 888 Sport)

[16 December 2018 13:45 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Southampton 0-0 Arsenal, 14 minutes

Nathan Redmond has started brightly and cuts inside on his right boot.

Deflected behind. Corner...

The cross is too deep, and Nacho Monreal and Bernd Leno combine to clear. 

[16 December 2018 13:46 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Brighton 0-0 Chelsea, 15 minutes

Chelsea don't look comfortable.

Marcos Alonso and Jorginho have both had somewhat shaky starts to the game.

Brighton really having a real go at their visitors.

[16 December 2018 13:47 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

​Nathan Redmond has begun the game brightly for Southampton.

[16 December 2018 13:48 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

GOAL! Brighton 0-1 Chelsea (Pedro, 17 minutes)

Chelsea lead!

Eden Hazard is the architect, assisting in his fourth consecutive Premier League game, beating his man and whipping a cross to the far post for Pedro to tap in.

[16 December 2018 13:50 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

GOAL! Southampton 1-0 Arsenal (Danny Ings, 20 minutes)

Southampton have been the better team and lead at St Mary's!

There is a suspicion of offside as the ball is played out to the left for Matt Targett, but the linesman does not raise his flag.

Targett has only one man to aim for in the Arsenal area, but he finds Danny Ings with a gorgeous whipped, arcing cross that just evades Laurent Koscielny's head, and Ings makes no mistake with a firm header past Bernd Leno.

A deserved opener for Ralph Hasenhuttl's side.

[16 December 2018 13:54 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Southampton 1-0 Arsenal, 23 minutes

Southampton come again in the wake of that goal, with first Danny Ings and latterly Stuart Armstrong having shots on goal blocked by Bernd Leno and a pair of Arsenal defenders respectively.

Nathan Redmond and Ings are buzzing about and unsettling the Arsenal defence.

[16 December 2018 13:55 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Pedro simply couldn't miss at the far post to give Chelsea an early lead against Brighton.

[16 December 2018 13:58 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

GOAL! Southampton 1-1 Arsenal (Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 28 minutes)

A well-worked leveller from Arsenal

Alex Iwobi plays a nice pass down the line to find the overlapping Nacho Monreal, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan shows good awareness to pull himself back into space by the penalty spot.

Monreal cuts back at head height and Mkhitaryan does superbly to direct the fast-moving cross perfectly into the bottom corner past Alex McCarthy's despairing dive.

[16 December 2018 14:02 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

​Southampton 1-1 Arsenal, 30 minutes

Arsenal nearly score again!

Lucas Torreira breaks from midfield into the Southampton box (a profitable facet of Arsenal's play recently) and squares for the unmarked Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the far post.

It seems Aubameyang will simply slot home, and the Gabonese striker would have done were it not for a quite magnificent last-ditch challenge from Jan Bednarek, somehow toeing the ball away at full stretch and preventing Aubameyang from getting his effort away.

Outstanding challenge.

[16 December 2018 14:03 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

GOAL! Brighton 0-2 Chelsea (Eden Hazard, 33 minutes)

2-0 Chelsea, and Eden Hazard is taking to his new position rather well.

It is poor from Leon Balogun, giving the ball away in a perilous position. Willian frees Hazard who outpaces the recovering Brighton defence, and the Belgian ever-so-cooly waits for Mat Ryan to commit and finds the bottom corner.

17 goal involvements already this season for Hazard. Decent.