As it happened :
After a prompt win in midweek, Arsenal dropped points against Southampton at St. Mary’s. The two teams played out a stalemate with Charlie Austin putting the Saints in front in just the 3rd minute, thanks to an unexpected error from Per Mertesacker. Olivier Giroud yet again proved to be a super sub as he has been for over a year now, netting in the 88th minute to rescue his side from further insult. The French striker hasn’t started a league match but has just one goal lesser than the preferred striker, Lacazette.(in all competitions) A chance to move up the table and get closer to a top-four spot was given away again by Arsene Wenger’s side.
Here are the Arsenal player ratings :
Petr Cech: 7/10
The veteran organised the defence well and made a couple of fantastic saves during the course of the game.
Laurent Koscielny: 5/10
He wasn’t at his best this afternoon. He often committed rash tackles and didn’t enjoy much success. He gave away easy fouls. Also, Koscielny lost his marker on a number of occasions and was seen back peddling.
Per Mertesacker: 2/10
After horrible mistake early on in the game, the World Cup winner took time to get into the action. By the time he did so, the entire team was on the back foot. Even for Romeu’s strike that hit the post, his focus was elsewhere. Hauled off.
Nacho Monreal: 6/10
He was sound while defending, best out of the back three by some distance.
Hector Bellerin: 6/10
The Spaniard joined the attack on a number of occasions but couldn’t produce a final delivery. He looked lost for some part of the game as he gave away possession cheaply when most bodies were forward for Arsenal.
Sead Kolasinac: 8/10
He was advanced on the pitch for the most part of the game, helping out the front men and putting in crosses. A real threat while going forward.
Granit Xhaka: 7/10
He played many diagonal passes, most of them being accurate and sublime. He was arguably the most influential player for Arsenal, both defensively and offensively.
Aaron Ramsey: 7.5/10
Ramsey made disguised forward runs in behind the wings, which added a major threat to the attack. His combination with Sanchez, Ozil and Bellerin was effective.
Alexis Sanchez: 7/10
He had an inconsistent outing, where some moments, like the assist to Giroud, were magical. Otherwise, he couldn’t come out on top while dribbling or accelerating.
Mesut Ozil: 9/10
Best player on the pitch, Ozil orchestrated the attack in all possible ways. He got away from his marker, exploited the gaps at the centre, played beautifully weighted passes and was quick to take decisions.
Alexandre Lacazette: 7/10
His first touch was excellent and so was his involvement in the build-up play. Couldn’t find the finish though.
Substitutes –
Danny Welbeck: 4/10
He played without any intent. For some parts of the game, it looked like he was not present.
Jack Wilshere: 6/10
He tried his best to deliver the killer final pass but couldn’t make it happen. A couple of runs made by him were attractive.
Olivier Giroud: 9/10
He put away another one which rescued a point. The forward’s presence in the box is a nightmare for any defence.
