Arsenal vs. Southampton score: Gunners end losing streak as Gabriel sees red

Arsenal’s losing run at the Emirates Stadium is over before Mikel Arteta’s side added their name to an infamous section of their record books, but in so many other ways this was history repeating itself in north London.

Losing would have seen Arsenal reach an unmatched five straight league defeats at home but the 10-man Gunners were able to hold on to a 1-1 draw against Southampton after Gabriel became the latest player to see red for a rash error of judgement at a decisive moment for their side.

Arsenal had responded impressively in the second half and drawn level when Bukayo Saka’s driving run and Eddie Nketiah’s through ball allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to cancel out Theo Walcott’s first-half opener against his former side. Anything less than a point would have been harsh on Southampton, who were by far the better side in the first half, as they missed the chance to briefly claim top spot in the Premier League.

Read on for the key talking points from the game.

Saka carries Arsenal’s burden

Who will tuck in to help Arsenal’s overwhelmed defense against attacking incursions? Saka. Who will give Aubameyang the service he is so desperately lacking? That’ll be Saka. Who will play the killer through ball or the on the money cross? You’ve probably guessed by now.

At 19 years of age Saka’s versatility has become a curse. He is having to do it all. Because his attitude has been immaculate throughout his side’s recent struggles, he is the man who his team-mates trust to give the ball to. He is also quite often the only one actually showing for the ball.

His opponents know that, which is why Southampton did what so many other teams have done of late, doubling and tripling up on him and hitting him with hard tackles. He might have been out of the game when he collided with Che Adams early on but he fought off injury and delivered a performance as impressive as any of the numerous excellent displays he has offered early in his Arsenal career.

Since he joined the Arsenal academy his quality has never been in doubt. What has shone through since he established himself as a regular in the first team is his exceptional attitude. As the pressure grew intolerable on these players Saka rose to the challenge. Almost every other player in this team could learn from that. 

Walcott puts Southampton’s plan into action

In such tough times for Arsenal, it simply had to be that their former charge, the one whose qualities were so constantly debated by supporters at the Emirates Stadium, returned to twist the knife ever deeper. And yet, this was a Walcott unlike the one who spent 12 years in north London. He looked like a player carrying out a tactical plan.

In possession Walcott would drift into the space between Kieran Tierney and Gabriel, hovering on the shoulder of the last man and looking to dart in behind. When it paid off the Emirates was treated to a sight it knew only too well as he clipped the ball over an onrushing goalkeeper and into the net.

Yet this ground rarely if ever saw Walcott tracking an overlapping full-back with such diligence, or pressing with an intensity that belied his 32 years. Perhaps the latter is explained by how rarely Southampton, who dominated possession in the early stages, actually had to work to win the ball back.

When they had it they knew exactly what to do with it. There are underlying principles and a settled formation and team. From there Ralph Hasenhuttl can adapt to suit the occasion in a way his counterpart, desperately scrabbling around for anything that works, simply cannot.

Southampton embraced Arsenal’s pressing from the front, looking for balls into the channels for Adams to chase. When they built from deep they deliberately probed the Gunners’ left, pushing James Ward-Prowse wide to create overloads with Walcott and Kyle Walker-Peters. That was probably not what Arteta would have expected and it showed. The tactical battle was won by the Saints.

What is Arteta’s role in rash red run?

One sending off borne from the red mist is misfortune. Another might just be a statistical anomaly. How though to explain a third incident where an Arsenal player has committed an error so incomprehensibly basic to rob his team-mates of numerical parity?

To be clear, the red card handed to Gabriel was not the same as those Granit Xhaka and Nicolas Pepe have received in recent weeks. The latter two were guilty of violent conduct, one grabbing their opponent by the throat the other aiming a headbutt at another player.

The Brazilian was not being selfishly aggressive, but he had clearly lost composure when he grappled with Theo Walcott on the halfway line, just moments after his initial yellow card. Faced with a player who has built a reputation on explosive pace he got tight, found himself spun and opted to haul his man down. This was the act of a player who was not thinking clearly.

It was also the seventh red card Arsenal have received in less than a year of Premier League games under Mikel Arteta. No other team has half that tally. Inevitably in such a small sample some can be explained away, as the manager attempted to before tonight’s game. “Only two have been discipline: Pepe and Granit,” he said. 

“The rest, there have been two late tackles… And then the other ones, there were two actions when a player was going through on goal and the defender is trying to prevent a goal.” Eventually those excuses ring rather hollow, when a team keeps making rash mistakes – and Mohamed Elneny could easily have made that number eight when he grappled an opponent in the weekend defeat to Burnley – those responsible for setting the culture for the team must bear responsibility.

Notable performances

Dani Ceballos: A display typified by what appeared to be him feigning a foul when he went down in the penalty area. On a night like tonight your midfield general needs to be taking responsibility, not looking for the easy way out. RATING: 4

Che Adams: For all that there were numerous flaws to Arsenal’s defense in the build-up to Walcott’s goal, credit should go to Adams who did what he had done throughout the game: moving into space, dragging defenders with him and opening up avenues for a team-mate to attack. RATING: 8

Gabriel: This flurry of Arsenal red cards are the sort to leave you with your mouth agape. What the Brazilian could possibly have been thinking in getting tight to Walcott? For all that there are bigger questions to answer about why these red cards forged through foolishness keeps happening this doesn’t excuse the individuals. RATING: 3

Premier League outlook

Ahead of tonight’s 3pm ET kick-offs Southampton remain in third, just a point off leaders Liverpool and Tottenham. Arsenal are far further adrift than anyone might have expected, marooned in 15th and six points clear off 18th-placed Fulham, who have played a game less.