Mikel Arteta really did show off his tactical prowess last night as Arsenal coasted home to gain a 2-0 victory at the St. Mary’s. The performance was far from flawless and it was a shame to see that we lost complete control over proceedings in terms of possession in the second half but overall Arteta’s plan worked. Defend deep, break decisively and expose Southampton’s high line at the back.
The players followed Arteta’s plan excellently. The likes of Rob Holding, Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka excelled in roles which suited their individual playing style perfectly. However, it is also true that some struggled to influence the game. For an evaluation of each player performance, make sure to keep scrolling.
GK – Emi Martinez: 7
Martinez has every right to be delighted with his first Premier League start in over 2 years. On top of delivering a crucial save to stop Shane Long from drawing the Saints level, his distribution was also top notch. He proved a crucial cog in our offensive play as he regularly looked to play our attacking trio in behind. A strong deputy to Bernd Leno.
RB – Hector Bellerin: 6
Bellerin supplied a bit of a mixed bag yesterday. Defensively, he looked like his old self. He made a couple or really important tackles to deny the dangerous Nathan Redmond who he kept quiet for the duration. But still, going forward, it seems Bellerin is lacking something. His tendency to look inside does no favours for Nicolas Pépé and at the moment we do look a tad lopsided due to our strength on the left flank. Still work to be done here by Mikel Arteta.
RCB – Shkodran Mustafi: 7
A solid performance from Mustafi. Unbelievably, he really has become Mr. Reliable in our defence. He made no mistakes on the ball and seems to have partially eradicated his proneness to diving into tackles on a regularly basis. He really does suit the wide centre-back role on the right flank.
LCB – Rob Holding: 9
Superb from the forgotten man last night. The epitome of a remontada. He led the team from the back, he headed everything that came his way and his passing was on point. Consistent game time is the key now for Holding.
LB – Kieran Tierney: 8
Tierney was another player who was just perfectly suited to his role last night. The Scot is resolute defensively, he doesn’t accept any nonsense at the back and looked really comfortable as an auxiliary LCB. Prime Nacho Monreal-esque. Future captain?
CDM – Granit Xhaka: 7
The Swiss international just did his thing in midfield last night. He is at his best when he can dictate the tempo of a game and that’s exactly what he did in the first half. Yet to lose a match under Mikel Arteta when Granit Xhaka has completed 90 minutes, Xhaka is essential within our system.
RCM – Dani Ceballos: 7
A solid performance from Dani Ceballos. Allowed to operate in his preferred deeper role last night and just like Xhaka, he did his thing. Xhaka and Ceballos really do suit each other very well. I’ll be sad to see him leave when his loan expires on August 1st.
LCM (More of a LWB) – Bukayo Saka: 8
This guy just never fails to impress. In three games since the restart the 18-year-old has played in three different positions and has not looked out of place in any of them. To be able to adapt so seamlessly to new roles is the sign of an extremely intelligent footballer. Such a high ceiling.
RW – Nico Pépé: 6
A disappointed outing by the Ivorian. He wasn’t helped by the lack of service and the lack of fluidity on the right flank but I can’t help thinking that he should be doing more. Again, at points he looked promising on the break and his defensive contribution was as good as it has been in an Arsenal shirt. So, overall, no need for our number 19 to be too disheartened.
ST – Eddie Nketiah: 8
Top notch performance from Nketiah. He looked sharp all game and any goal like the one he ended up scoring is always satisfying for a centre-forward. It was disappointing to see him uncharacteristically snatch at the chance Nico Pépé made for him late in the first half but that composure will come with more first team minutes. The best is yet to come from Eddie.
LW – Aubameyang: 6
May be a tad harsh but only because he sets such high standards for himself. It was a shame to see him hit the bar early on, despite a good save from McCarthy on closer inspection, and at times it would’ve been nice to see him be more selfish. Proper captain’s performance though. He worked his socks off and did his best to help out the youngsters surrounding him. Just needs to secure that elusive 50th League goal and then the confidence will be back.
Substitutes:
Joe Willock – 8: delighted to see him grab his first PL goal and worked hard for the team. Looks hungry.
Sead Kolasinac – N/A
Alex Lacazette – N/A
Ainsley Maitland-Niles – N/A
Manager – 9
Arteta got it spot on last night. The unorthodox formation suited the personal we had on the pitch really well and our goals derived from our superior match sharpness which the Spaniard must take some credit for.
What’s next?
Arsenal take on Sheffield United in the FA Cup on Sunday at Bramall Lane. The quarter-final tie against the Blades represents a tough fixture but a winnable one. It’s all about picking up momentum now. I for one would not be averse to us remaining unchanged this weekend. A top team performance last night.
Rob Worthington
I’ve supported Arsenal for as long as I can remember. The Emirates is about an hour’s train ride from my house so I go to the games regularly. Especially lately, writing about Arsenal has become a passion of mine so I hope it’s something I can do professionally in the future.
