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Danny Welbeck grabs two goals and makes up for horror miss to keep Southampton in the relegation zone.

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Sun 8 Apr 2018 11.58 EDTFirst published on Sun 8 Apr 2018 08.15 EDT
Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates.
Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters

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Email from the US of A makes a pertinent point, and there’s a prediction from Drew in Maine..

“John, if Arsenal’s defense can’t deal with Shane Long and Charlie Austin, how can they expect to contain Griezmann in a potential Europa League matchup? And if Jack Stephens can get under their skin, imagine what Diego Costa will do.”

So, what did we learn? Arsenal still know where the goal is, and really ought to when they have Aubemeyang and Welbeck in their team and Lacazette coming off the bench. Worth mentioning the contribution of Alex Iwobi, who when given space, showed that he can supply a creative edge.

And as for Southampton, there was plenty of fighting spirit there, just as would be expected in a Mark Hughes team but a tendency to boil over is problematic. It always helps to have eleven men on the field. Jack Stephens lost his mind when lashing out at Jack Wilshere the wind-up merchant. Having now rediscovered how to score goals, the defence needs work. A Virgil van Dijk-shaped hole is what is likely to cost Southampton their Premier League status.

The question of why they sold him in January having held on to him last summer now seems as pertinent as ever.

Full time: Arsenal 3-2 Southampton

And that’s it. Goals, red cards and some very rude words indeed. It had it all.

90 min+4: Saints fail to make much of their free-kick. Iwobi down the other end tries to keep the ball in the corner. The entire 59,000 crowd out of their seats.

Red Card: Jack Stephens

Stephens reacted to a shirt pull from Jack Wilshere with a frustrated swipe. Wilshere was booked and Stephens will need a new shirt. It was ripped to pieces.

Stephens has his shirt pulled by Wilshere resulting in the pair clashing and Stephens being sent off. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
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88 min: But here come Arsenal on the attack, or more properly trying to kill the game with some possession stuff. Charlie Austin concedes a needless free-kick as Arsenal try to take the steam out of this one.

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86 min: Jack Wilshere showing off his “new Dennis Wise” persona by crunching into Cedric. Good, strong chest-beating stuff.

84 min: Josh Sims get involved and then Cech is forced to make a save from Tadic. A lovely pirouette forced the chance. Saints still fighting for their lives.

82 min: That is a disaster for Southampton. They have been hugely vulnerable whenever Arsenal’s attackers have been given time to link up with each other. Iwobi was given room for the second time in a matter of moments. Tiredness perhaps kicking in. Southampton have doubled their average away scoring record here, but conceding three leaves them in the drop zone as it stands.

78 min: Substitution: Shane Long finally pegs out. He’s down and can’t carry on. He’s been great today in the best Shane Long fashion: industrious. Josh Sims comes on to replace the fighting Irishman.

77 min: Amazing miss from Arsenal. Great cross from Iwobi to the back post, then Wilshere sets up Welbeck. That’s a miss for your Danny Baker’s Own Goals and Gaffes VHS collection.

74 min: Arsenal rocking on the ropes here. Shane Long, still limping, tries to get a cross in but the ball is hacked behind. It’s all Southampton. Petr Cech has to punch the ball clear before claiming the next ball pumped in.

71 min: Substitution time: Aubameyang is replace by his good pal Lacazette. Now on comes Charlie Austin for Yoshida to bolster the Southampton attack. Charlie boy has scored every time he has faced

68 min: Meanwhile, Cech made another save, this time after a shot from Hoedt. Saints continue to step it up, amd Arsenal’s forward line starved of service.

66 min: Mark Hughes is raging on the touchline, though not as much as Michael Staley, who blasts back at McKeefry. They are reduced to calling each other by their surnames.

“Silly idea. I probably “deserve” £100,000 per year, but I don’t get it. It’s a question of how many points are won, not whether they are “deserved”. If you believe otherwise, “support” Burnley, though I doubt your “support” amounts to very much.”

64 min: Reiss Nelson has departed the scene, to be replaced by Jack Wilshere. Looks like Arsene Wenger wants more control of midfield. A quiet debut from Nelson. Tough to play against a team with as physical an approach as Southampton and among a team that was mish-mash of a selection.

63 min: Saints goal disallowed. Shane Long had the ball in the net after directing Cedric’s shot in. Correct offside decision, and even Mark Hughes disagrees. Long complains, but he was offside.

62 min: Shane Long goes close again. Climbs highest in a crowd scene and plants his header down. Good low save from Cech.

Cech gets down low to save from Long. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images via Reuters
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61 min: Good question from Geoff Wignall: “I wonder whether Long and Welbeck have ever both scored on the same day before, let alone in the same match. It can’t have happened often.”

60 min: Saints stepping this up, but the back door is slightly ajar at the back. Mark Hughes aims a volley at the linesman for a throw-in he feels was his team’s.

58 min: Højbjerg is another Southampton player in the wars. For the second time he is grimacing in pain. Playing for Mark Hughes is always a bruising business, though not as bruising as having to play against him.

57 min: Shots returned to Staley from McKeefry: “Let’s try the basis of pound spent per point as a measure of deserving. Let’s try percentage ground fill!”

55 min: Mustafi shaky again in making a skewed clearance that could have gone anywhere but went behind for a corner. Typically great delivery from Ward-Prowse and Wes Hoedt heads the ball goalwards, where it is hacked clear from the line.

53 min: Now it’s Petr Cech called into action. Højbjerg’s shot rattled in, and Cech doesn’t make a clean save but the ball is not followed up by any Saints. Shane Long knew he was offside

50 min: Meanwhile, Hector Bellerin is the first player in the book, yellow-carded after taking evasive action after an Elneny error.

49 min: Shots fired. Michael Staley emails in.

“Martin McKeefry emails in with a guilty conscience. “Help! Please tell me I’m not the only Arsenal fan who secretly hopes Burnley come sixth. They deserve it more don’t they?” No they don’t. Arsenal have more points. On what basis do Burnley “deserve it more”? You need to go and support Burnley if that’s your attitude.”

48 min: Close for Arsenal. Aubemeyang and Xhaka force two saves from McCarthy. Xhaka’s effort far superior to his first-half pot-shots. A fine save for it, too.

Aubameyang shoots. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images
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47 min: Shane Long is back out, and running gingerly at best. Surely he only gets another 20 minutes or so?

46 min: We are back underway at the Emirates, where very few people appear to be in the top tier of the stands.

Tweet from Mark Sanderson: “Dusan Tadic has the abs like an extra from that film 300. If he only he had the guts to match. Such a frustrating player.”

Teenage Fanclub superfan Tom Goodfellow emails in. “I Need Direction in how to respond to that Sparky’s Dream comment. Can Arsenal Start Again or is The Concept for Saints to avoid Fallin’ a division with all the Mellow Doubt that would involve? Ain’t That Enough?”

Hang On, what’s your Star Sign, Tom?

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Martin McKeefry emails in with a guilty conscience. “Help! Please tell me I’m not the only Arsenal fan who secretly hopes Burnley come sixth. They deserve it more don’t they?”

Half-time: Arsenal 2-1 Southampton

A tale of three strikers. Shane Long with the work ethic and unlikely opportunism, and then Aubameyang with the class. Danny Welbeck, who set up that equaliser with his own piece of class, was a little lucky to score Arsenal’s second. Spirited from Saints, but they were hanging on to a 2-1 deficit in the final moments of the half.

45 min: McCarthy fails to clear Xhaka’s corner. Chambers fires in a shot and Saints hurry it behind. Bellerin and Højbjerg collide. Painful for the Dane but he gets back up.

43 min: Shane Long, meanwhile, is walking with a limp. He’s already put in a hell of a shift, even grabbed a goal, but half-time could be the end for him.

42 min: Ward-Prowse seizes on the ball in a dangerous area but his shot squirts wide. Arsenal head down the other end and looked like they might get another but well done Jack Stephens for getting his lines cleared.

40 min: Meanwhile, Granit Xhaka has smashed another ball into the stands. Sometimes they go in. Oh, but not very often.

38 min: Not much Alex McCarthy could do about that. Mark Hughes aghast on the bench. His plan was working to a tee, then came Arsenal being in possession of quality attackers and a stroke of bad luck. Arsenal deserve credit for their response, too. Having Sean Dyche breathing down your neck can do that to you.

36 min: Saints on the attack now but Bellerin shows off his defensive chops by closing off the space and getting his foot in.

34 min: Romeu concedes a free-kick in a highly dangerous position. Granit Xhaka clatters it over the bar in the style that rugby’s Owen Farrell might appreciate but not the sighing fans in the Clock End.

33 min: End to end stuff: Shane Long goes close with an angled snap shot, though there is a mysterious offside flag being waved.

31 min: Arsenal have woken up, and fancy another goal. Difficult for Southampton to alter their momentum from the defensive setting they had triggered. Cedric forced to concede a corner that Welbeck couldn’t get to. The ball back in found Chambers, and Alex McCarthy makes a save.

30 min: That Saints resistance could not cope with the excellence of that interchange. Arsenal, for all their woes, have players that can open up the proverbial tin of beans with their skills.

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