Arsenal could not extend their unbeaten run and got defeated for the first time in 22 fixtures. Southampton took advantage of the given opportunities and against the Londoners to head their new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl to his first Premier League victory. The ex-Liverpool player Danny Ings proved he has been a great deal for the Saints scoring two before being replaced with Charlie Austin who scored the winner. Their perfectly timed interventions resulted in making the Gunners‘ life miserable and exposing their defensive issues. Not a lot of positives could be taken out of this game but it’s still difficult to point a finger at a certain player or mistake that led to the defeat.
In this analysis, I’ll try to find the reason for Arsenal failing to keep the result after equalizing twice. And also how did Southampton manage to take the lead three times and win the game?
Was it just a matter of luck and tiredness or Unai Emery just didn’t find the right formula?
What went wrong for Arsenal and why?
Unai Emery is known for his adaptability to the opponents’ tactics and formations and this is part of why he has been this successful as a coach. He didn’t cheat on his instincts once again and went for a completely different (yet strange) squad against the Saints. But this time his instincts cheated on him. As that defeat is a result of far more complicated circumstances the starting XI and the 3-4-2-1 formation played a huge part in it. His in-game adjustments weren’t much of a help this time too.
The manager decided to give a chance to the three-man defence once again. And I believe that was not the biggest problem, although going back to the “old” 4-2-3-1 could’ve been a better choice. The main issue was his player choice and individual positioning. That is what didn’t work out at all. And it wasn’t to blame it on the players’ individual qualities; it was just a matter of connection (and playing time).
Playing all three Nacho Monreal, Laurent Koscielny and Stephan Lichtsteiner, in the starting XI might not be the strongest decision Emery has made so far. Not that he had any decent choices on the bench though. With Mustafi and Sokratis out due to suspension and Rob Holding missing after picking up a long-term injury, the Spaniard was given a hard time preparing for this game.
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