#and jannik wishes charlie was there

[imadmouhcine7]

world news Arsenal stroll past struggling Southampton to climb into top four

simplest three days due to the fact arsenal teetered getting ready to their first mini-crisis of the season, unai emery’s side abruptly locate themselves returned wherein they need to be. thursday’s squashing of bate borisov guaranteed their progress in europa league, and this recurring victory over southampton back them to the holy land that is the surest league’s top 4. champions league qualification is the primary objective for emery this season and, as we technique the start of spring, arsenal are proper within the hunt for it. chelsea have a sport in hand, it ought to be said, however their struggles inside the league look ever-extra reported while compared to the relative smoothness of this victory for arsenal.

early strikes from alexandre lacazette and henrikh mkhitaryan did the trick, with arsenal producing certainly one of their most encouraging first-half performances of the season. some of the soccer in those beginning 45 mins became among the first-rate the emirates has seen under emery. arsenal have been quick and incisive, and they need to genuinely have put four or five goals past a southampton aspect that became dreadfully slow to upward push to the event. there may be no denying the impact of ralph hasenhuttl at the south coast however this became an afternoon when the antique difficulties resurfaced for southampton. their loss of intensity in the first half, specially, become verging on embarrassing. it become this organization of gamers who had ended arsenal’s 22-sport unbeaten run in advance inside the marketing campaign, yet it felt like a completely one of a kind side became playing right here. for arsenal, there have been plenty of changes from thursday’s europa league victory over bate borisov, with pierre-emerick aubameyang and mesut ozil both dropping all the way down to the bench beforehand of any other busy week. aubameyang’s absence gave lacazette an opportunity to guide the attack on his very own, and the frenchman wanted simply six mins to artfully flick arsenal into the lead. the goal came slightly a minute after nathan redmond had scampered in in the back of the home defence, firing straight at bernd leno while he actually should have hit one of the corners. arsenal went immediately up the opposite cease, with lacazette back-heeling domestic from close variety after henrikh mkhitaryan had sliced a left-footed volley. southampton had been inflicting a few problems for the arsenal defence in those starting exchanges but the gulf in magnificence become soon obtrusive. emery’s facet played in pleasant little bursts, pinging the ball among the attackers at a speed which southampton absolutely couldn't take care of. mkhitaryan then brought the second one, sliding a first-rate finish inner angus gunn’s close to submit after the southampton goalkeeper had fluffed a clearance immediately to the toes of the staggering alex iwobi. there were encouraging performances all around the discipline for arsenal. granit xhaka changed into controlling the midfield, shkodran mustafi looked composed in defence and lacazette became humming with all his ordinary menace in assault. the simplest grievance at the spoil, from the house fans at the least, would have been that the scoreline turned into no longer extra emphatic. lacazette need to have scored his aspect’s third after sead kolasinac, once more doing his satisfactory affect of an irritated bull, barrelled into the penalty container and rolled the ball into the striker’s route. slightly 5 yards from intention, lacazette by some means spooned his shot over the bar.

regardless of the leave out, it turned into actually one among arsenal’s pleasant first-1/2 performances in recent months. southampton may want to hardly were extra charitable, although, and it turned into incredible how a great deal space emery’s aspect have been playing in opposition to a crew that turned into playing with simplest  attacking gamers. hasenhuttl made two adjustments on the smash, summoning michael obafemi and charlie austin in an try to at least pin arsenal back. they started the second one half of well, with james ward-prowse driving huge after a horrible skip from the otherwise high-quality xhaka. the southampton resurgence, if you may name it that, caused a reaction from an arsenal aspect that was beginning to coast. emery’s side needed to solidify on the returned, and they could not find the same areas in assault. it became consequently a distinctive in shape inside the second 1/2, with southampton subsequently capable of compete within the midfield.

nevertheless, there's a purpose that hasenhuttl’s facet commenced the day within the relegation zone. there remained a brilliant lack of incision going ahead, notwithstanding the arrival of a greater traditional centre-ahead in the shape of austin. there have been a few encouraging moments for the traffic, but the reality is that arsenal had been in no way really troubled. while emery threw ozil and aubameyang into the motion, it handiest underlined the evaluation in attacking nice. most effective aubameyang’s wastefulness in assault avoided the scoreline from being even extra damning for a southampton facet that ought to make primary enhancements.

3:58pm complete time: arsenal 2 southampton zero approximately as smooth a 3 factors as arsenal will ever get against southampton, who got here with some sort of gameplan, abandoned it 1/2-time when they were two dreams down, and in no way gave the look of turning it around. the past due-afternoon sunshine threatened to place the emirates to sleep earlier than arsenal might recollect a third - even supposing aubameyang had the danger - and this was a task effects completed. southampton stay within the bottom 3, and rightly so. three:53pm 90+1 min - arsenal 2 southampton zero                           there will be 3 brought mins of inoffensive southampton fouls near the midway line. 3:52pm 89 min - arsenal 2 southampton zero                          matt targett backspins a side-volley toward the pinnacle corner, and leno is at complete-stretch to claw it away! three:51pm 87 min - arsenal 2 southampton zero                         aubameyang works an opening, then a bigger one, after which has the freedom of the southampton area to line a shot up for his 16th of the season...but it's blocked. must be three-zero. three:49pm 85 min - arsenal 2 southampton zero                        bednarek sends xhaka flying at the touchline. moments later, aubameyang cruises into the container, tries to to square the ball and jannik vestergaard almost diverts the ball into his very own internet! angus gunn to the rescue. 3:45pm 81 min - arsenal 2 southampton zero                       nathan redmond indicates a chunk of urgency by way of urgent leno into an mistakes, but the ball is still cleared to relative protection. southampton keep to leave ft into tackles, which isn't always impressing emery at the touchline. three:39pm seventy seven min - arsenal 2 southampton 0                      aubameyang replaces lacazette. his first involvement is a tangle with younger yann valery on the edge of the container, however the referee isn't always interested. three:36pm seventy three min - arsenal 2 southampton 0                     first glimpse of second-half wish for southampton. arsenal clean a nook, redmond returns the ball from the left, and austin glances a header toward the top nook...wherein leno plucks it away from chance. 3:33pm sixty nine min - arsenal 2 southampton zero                    extra true news for southampton: pierre-emerick aubameyang is warming up for arsenal. soccer-sensible, now not plenty is occurring - that is a procession inside the emirates sunshine. 3:28pm 65 min - arsenal 2 southampton zero                   mohamed elyounoussi is on for the hamstrung obafemi. hasenhuttl chucks his water bottle away in disgust at southampton's luck. 3:26pm sixty three min - arsenal 2 southampton zero                  saints sub obafemi pulls up with what looks as if a hamstring injury. before that is confirmed, though, aaron ramsey gets a pleasant ovation as he makes manner for mesut ozil. three:24pm 60 min - arsenal 2 southampton zero                 torreira snaps into an interception in midfield and feeds iwobi at the left, who wins a nook. it is performed brief and arsenal make an abortive try to create and rating a intention completely through backheels. 3:19pm fifty six min - arsenal 2 southampton zero                arsenal put together an enforced trade: lichsteiner is struggling with a knock, so laurent koscielny will update him. they complete that before a southampton unfastened kick, which hastily will become an arsenal goal kick. three:15pm 52 min - arsenal 2 southampton zero               southampton have started with a few motive on this 2d 1/2, trying to get the ball wide in the wish of serving the substitute austin, however arsenal's feathers remains unruffled...at the least till james ward-prowse thumps a shot just wide! three:11pm forty eight min - arsenal 2 southampton 0              kolasinac drives through the middle once more and southampton look stretched another time, however iwobi's move is cleared. obafemi is going in...enthusiastically on xhaka and leaves him in a heap. he avoids a yellow card absolutely by having been on the pitch for only  mins. three:10pm saints changes... michael obafemi and charlie austin are on for southampton - jack stephens and stuart armstrong off. 2:53pm half time: arsenal 2 southampton 0 and what a alleviation so one can be for southampton, who cease the half like a wheezing boxer at the ropes. arsenal have spent 45 mins walking round them, with most effective a golden hazard for nathan redmond to worry them at the opposite cease. lacazette opened the scoring moments after that, and mkhitaryan's simple punishment of some other southampton protective howler has pretty a good deal wrapped this recreation up. 2:48pm 43 min - arsenal 2 southampton zero             any other hazard for lacazette! he shifts the ball on to his left foot, 16 yards out, but gunn saves together with his legs! 2:46pm 41 min - arsenal 2 southampton zero            lacazette glances a header into the gloves of gunn from an arsenal nook, before a lichtsteiner move offers southampton a fear. they just about clean, but kolasinac steams in to feed lacazette, seven yards out...but he skies it! 2:42pm 37 min - arsenal 2 southampton 0           overdue challenges flying in on arsenal midfielders left, proper and centre - hojbjerg on xhaka the state-of-the-art - as southampton attempt to get a foothold in this recreation. 2:39pm 33 min - arsenal 2 southampton 0          emery can be heard issuing his earnest little instructions as arsenal construct casually from the back, earlier than stephens has to slide in to disclaim kolasinac an opening in the box.  2:35pm 29 min - arsenal 2 southampton zero         the tempo drops once more, prepared for when arsenal next spot a glaring hole in the southampton defence. 2:31pm 25 min - arsenal 2 southampton 0        southampton can play, however they are in no way going to seize this sport via the neck. arsenal are keeping the sport excellent and stretched, letting the ball do the work, and the traffic are chasing shadows. lacazette races at the back of the defence, sells bednarek a dummy, but his shot is blocked. 2:27pm 20 min - arsenal 2 southampton 0       62% ownership for arsenal thus far, and that they've made it matter. lacazette and lichsteiner pop the ball luckily among themselves at the proper flank, inside the sunshine: happy instances at the emirates (for now.) 2:22pm intention! arsenal 2 (mkhitaryan, 17 min) southampton 0       it's ! southampton are a multitude on the lower back once more, and that they pay the rate. jack stephens panics with a backpass to angus gunn, alex iwobi pounces on the clearance, and he squares the ball to henrikh mkhitaryan! sport over, probably. 2:20pm 15 min - arsenal 1 southampton 0      southampton threaten! targett crosses to the lower back submit, in which redmond waits to nod the ball for stuart armstrong to head goalwards. that is blocked, however back come the visitors and leno is forced into another clever shop from targett's low force!  2:18pm 12 min - arsenal 1 southampton 0     arsenal move forward, with iwobi and lacazette combining fantastically to release mkhitaryan on the right, however his go is reduce out for a nook. sokratis receives up maximum, however he can't direct his header goalwards. 2:15pm nine min - arsenal 1 southampton 0    those are the fine margins: redmond ought to have scored, and then lacazette did. in the meantime, xhaka flashes a booming right-foot 30-yarder simply extensive of the southampton goal. 2:12pm purpose! arsenal 1 ( lacazette, 7 min) southampton zero    store! nathan redmond races clean, cuts inside and forces bernd leno right into a keep! moments later, arsenal circulate ahead, torreira desires a penalty, but alexandre lacazette choices up the unfastened ball and fires it home! 2:10pm five min - arsenal 0 southampton zero   arsenal nook, which xhaka and torreira take short, earlier than matt targett clears the eventual transport from the left. very pedestrian start in phrases of arsenal's passing rhythm. 2:08pm three min - arsenal zero southampton zero  lucas torreira goes down for arsenal, and clutches his left ankle. southampton, predictably, urgent like a side who have not performed in more than a fortnight. 2:05pm 1 min - arsenal zero southampton zero emphatic shadows across the emirates pitch. southampton, in yellow shirts and blue shorts, get us off and jogging. 2:01pm players are inside the tunnel... ..and kick-off is at the way. 1:40pm retro nook, pt. 2 back to may also 2001, and an excellent very last moment for southampton's darling antique domestic of the dell. locked at 2-2 towards arsenal, going into the very last moments, up stepped mr matthew le tissier. xhaka can. it is time to comprehend the significance of granit xhaka to this redeveloping arsenal facet, writes sam dean. it does no longer help xhaka’s reason, from a pr perspective, that his actual price to arsenal is maximum obvious when he is absent. the 26-yr-old ignored 3 successive games before his return closing week — against cardiff, manchester city and huddersfield — and it showed. towards cardiff and huddersfield, specially, arsenal have been ragged and disjointed all through, regardless of the plain gulf in excellent among the teams. there was a lack of sport management and a extraordinary absence of clever possession. without xhaka within the facet, arsenal complete significantly fewer passes in line with sport (467 with him, 397 without) and feature significantly less possession (59 in keeping with cent with him, 53 per cent without). they also have fewer photographs without xhaka, and concede greater photographs on their own aim while he does now not play. 12:38pm the alternative sport nowadays, on this superest of extraordinary sundays, arsenal find themselves rather driven down the bill. whilst manchester united vs liverpool, and then the carabao cup final between manchester city and chelsea, occupy the headline slot, unai emery's side will fly rather under the radar for the visit of southampton. that's comprehensible, however we shouldn't rule out the leisure ability on the emirates. on this sport last yr, arsenal stormed back from 2-zero right down to win at the same time as, on this season's opposite fixture, they traded blows earlier than charlie austin determined matters. ralph hasenhuttl had his first win as a most desirable league supervisor, and arsenal's 4-month, 22-recreation unbeaten run became brought to a shuddering halt. even as arsenal had the midweek inconvenience of brushing bate borisov aside in the europa league, hasenhuttel become beavering away at the plan for southampton's first sport in 15 days. and that has my colleague dan zeqiri concerned, for a start: