Arsenal vs Southampton match report: Arsenal lose more ground in Premier League title race

Arsenal 0 Southampton 0

Olivier Giroud (GETTY IMAGES)

Leicester City won, Manchester City won, Tottenham Hotspur won, but Arsenal drew last night, dropping them down to fourth place in a title race that now looks like it might be too hot for them.

This was an average performance from Arsène Wenger’s side but a very bad result, their third unwanted draw in the last four matches, as they fired blanks against a Southampton side with far less quality than them and far less to play for.

Arsenal could not break through, despite dominating possession and chances. Fraser Forster in the Southampton goal was inspired, saving repeatedly from Mesut Özil, Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud.

For a big man recovering from an eight-month lay-off following a serious knee injury, he played with remarkable agility, athleticism and instincts. There will not be many better performances in goal this season.

On another day, with the chances they created, Arsenal might have scored eight. But on this occasion they scored none. They may have been unfortunate but at this stage of the season, in games like this, champion teams have to find a way.

The groans and jeers at the final whistle told the story of Arsenal’s frustration. Their performance up to then told the story of a team that may be running out of steam just when it matters most. They have taken just three points from their last four Premier League games.

Although they created chances in the second half, they would have made it far easier for themselves by scoring in the first. They missed the quality and control of Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin or even Mikel Arteta in the middle.

And they missed the fine-tuned brilliance of Sanchez when he has had a run of games behind him, rather than two months out. Much of Arsenal’s best play was individualistic, some of it was desperate.

Wenger spoke before the game about the importance of “mental energy”, but his Arsenal side looked remarkably flat in a poor first half. He left Theo Walcott on the bench so that he could keep Joel Campbell and Sanchez on the wings, but both players struggled to get round the back or sides of Southampton’s two banks of four.

This was Sanchez’s second start since he returned from a hamstring injury, and while he was full of enthusiasm, always showing for the ball, turning and running, he was lacking the instinctive collegial understanding and precise technical execution which come with playing games.

Little that he tried came off, as he ran into the solid challenges of Oriol Romeu, Victor Wanyama and the brickwall-like back four.

With no Cazorla in midfield and Aaron Ramsey struggling to pick up the tempo of the game it was left, as ever, to Özil to provide some spark. He had Arsenal’s two best chances in the first half, forcing saves from Forster at close range.

The first would have been a goal of the season; Özil ran in behind and stunned a diagonal ball from the left-back Nacho Monreal with remarkable skill. He quickly stabbed his shot at goal, but it was straight at Forster.

Özil’s next chance was even better. Hector Bellerin curled in a cross from the right-hand side which Giroud flicked on at the near post. Özil ghosted behind the visiting defence, just staying onside, but when he stuck a leg out at the ball Forster was again quick enough to block with a save of impressive, instinctive athleticism.

That was 20 minutes into the first period and there was very little else in the half for Arsenal to get excited about, such was the lack of midfield quality in their side. Southampton, in fact, were more dangerous, as Dusan Tadic and Romeu tested Petr Cech from range, and Shane Long threatened to bully the Arsenal defenders as he has done before.

Wenger did not turn to his bench, and his starting XI did reward him with an uptick of urgency after the restart. They moved the ball forward more quickly, although it was never quite good enough to beat Forster.

Ramsey broke forward and laid the ball off for Giroud, whose curling effort was kept out of the top corner by a leaping Forster.

Giroud challenged him again, when he met Özil’s left-footed corner, but Forster saved comfortably down to his left.

It was time for a change and Wenger brought on Walcott for Campbell. His first action was to drive a good cross in from the right. Sanchez met it with his head but Forster saved again.

Halfway through the second half the Emirates started to have a frantic feel, with the three other teams in the top four all winning. Arsenal cut out their midfield and hurried their play. Walcott stayed high and wide on the right, found the ball in space and forced a save from Forster, then another one on the rebound.

Arsenal started to fling in crosses. Sanchez’s far-post header was tipped away again by Forster. Özil found a leaping Laurent Koscielny, but he could only divert the ball over the crossbar.

Arsenal kept getting closer, but never close enough. The one time they did manage to beat Forster, James Ward-Prowse cleared Sanchez’s shot off the line.

Özil was about to score, just inside the box, when he was tackled by Virgil van Dijk. The rebound fell to Sanchez, lurking at the near post, but Forster saved again.

There were six minutes of added time but by then Arsenal had exhausted their legs and their ideas. Now they have to chase.