Arsenal stumble against the lowest team in a thrilling game

Madness at the Emirates! Arsenal, leaders of the Premier, dropped two golden points against bottom team Southampton (3-3) but it could have been three if not for their reaction in the final minutes to equalize the 1-3 defeat. The tactical battle between the Basque Mikel Arteta and the Valencian Rubén Sellés ended in a draw that did not satisfy either of the two teams, the show won.

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Arsenal, who only managed 2-2 wins in their visits to Liverpool and West Ham, now have a five-point advantage over Manchester City, who they visit on Wednesday at the Etihad in a great game that could be decisive in the fight. for the title, although rivals Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals now have two fewer games to play as they look for a place in the FA Cup final against Sheffield United tomorrow. Meanwhile, Southampton remain bottom, now three points behind Salvation.

The game went wrong for Arsenal after 26 seconds of play. Carlos Alcaraz took advantage of a very serious pass error from goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale with his foot to control the ball and put it past the post from the edge of the area.

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Walcott, a former gunner, made it 0-2

It was the first notable action of the Argentine youngster, who after fifteen minutes put in an excellent through ball that was alone with Theo Walcott. The former Arsenal player was unforgiving when Ramsdale left and he crossed the ball perfectly.

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Two shots, two goals from a surprising Southampton who have since undertaken an exercise in resistance from Numanta. Arsenal turned their game around on the wings. Gabriel Martinelli took a risk from the left, Buyako Saka from the right and on reaching the end line, his back pass was punched by Martinelli (20′).

Everything indicated that the goal would be the start of a comeback but Arsenal showed signs of defensive weakness at every turn for the ‘saints’, who in the 25th minute made it 1-3 with a double chance from Mohamed Elyounoussi and Alcaraz that Ramsdale failed.

In attack, Arsenal insisted, although the ideas were less clear than later, against a Southampton team that lost centre-back Jan Bednarek when he jumped on the head with Martinelli (39′ ) and saw how his full-backs Romain Perraud and Kyle Walker-Peters saw the yellow card before the end of the first half and risked a red card against the attacks of Saka and Martinelli.

Sellés sacrifices Alcaraz, the best

At the discount before the break, Alcaraz, who was also decisive in the defensive tasks, took a Ben White header from a corner on the same line, the second shot between the three sticks for Arsenal, but Rubén had to Sellés sacrificed the Argentine in his regret to strengthen the defense in the second half with the third center-back Lyanco.

With this change, Southampton completely gave up on the attack, but the bet paid off wonderfully for Sellés. Arsenal attacked again and again but they lacked the final touch, shot precision, before the disorganized wall put up by the Valencian coach.

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Caleta-Car scores 1-3

Meanwhile, in the other place, the opposite happened. The visitors, in their first arrival, showed supreme efficiency and once again discovered the Gunners’ defensive shortcomings in a strategic play. James Ward-Prowse took a corner, Lyanco grabbed the near post and center back Duje Caleta-Car, replacing Bednarek, headed just wide of the far post (66′).

Gabriel Jesus, in one of several oversights in the visiting defense, broke the 2-3 by sending a high ball that fell unmarked in the first shot of the ‘Gunners’ in this second act (68′).

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Odegaard and Saka tied in a crazy finale

Arteta fired his ships and put his full offensive arsenal on the field as Leandro Trossard and Eddie Nketiah came on before a hectic end to the game. Martin Odegaard gave the leaders hope with a fine screwball shot in the 88th minute and two minutes later Saka equalized by pushing home a rebound from Gavin Bazunu after a shot from Reiss Nelson .

There were eight minutes left, an eternity. Trossard crashed a whiplash over the crossbar and Arsenal were on the verge of a championship comeback. Now, after their third successive draw, they have six exciting days left in their fight to win their first Premier since 2004.

ARSENAL

33

SOUTHAMPTON

Arsenal: Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel Magalhães, Zinchenko (Nketiah, 72′); Thomas Partey, Odegaard, Fábio Vieira (Trossard, 57′); Then, Gabriel Jesus, Martinelli (Nelson, 85′)
The
Southampton: Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Bednarek (Caleta-Car, 41′), Bella-Kotchap, Perraud; Elyounoussi, Ward-Prowse, Lavia (Ibrahima Diallo, 86′), Adam Armstrong (Sulemana, 77′); Walcott (Onuachu, 77′), Alcaraz (Lyanco, 46′)
The
Goals: 0-1 Alcaraz (1′), 0-2 Walcott (14′), 1-2 Martinelli (20′), 1-3 Caleta-Car (66′), 2-3 Odegaard (88′), 3 -3 Then (90′)

Referee: Simon Hopper. Yellow cards to Alcaraz (27′), Perraud (32′), Walker-Peters (42′), Zinchenko (49′), Adam Armstrong (76′), Ibrahima Diallo (94′)

Spectators: 60,175 at the Emirates

see the match sheet