Welbeck’s double costs Southampton vital points
LONDON: Danny Welbeck’s second goal of the game gave Arsenal a 3-2 win yesterday and cost Southampton a draw they would have deserved in their struggle against relegation from the Premier League.
Southampton’s defeat kept them in the bottom three, three points behind Crystal Palace but with a game in hand.
Shane Long gave them the lead after 17 minutes, nipping in ahead of defender Shkodran Mustafi.
Arsenal equalised 11 minutes later through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, playing a one-two with Welbeck.
Welbeck then cut inside onto Alex Iwobi’s pass to give Arsene Wenger’s side a barely-deserved halftime lead.
Substitute Charlie Austin equalised a minute after coming on, but with nine minutes left Welbeck headed in Iwobi’s cross.
In a wild last few minutes Mohamed Elneny and Southampton’s Jack Stephens were sent off in separate incidents.
Arsenal remain 13 points behind the top four, their hopes for the remainder of the season resting on the Europa League, in which they take a 4-1 lead to CSKA Moscow for Thursday’s quarter-final second leg.
Southampton could claim bad luck, however, when Wesley Hoedt’s header from a corner was going in until Elneny nodded it off the line.
Stephens and Elneny received straight red cards within a few minutes of each other for raising their hands.
“It’s a competitive game, Saints are in a difficult position, and at the end, it got a bit out of hand,” Welbeck said.
Chelsea’s failure to beat lowly London rivals West Ham United in the Premier League yesterday summed up their season, according to manager Antonio Conte.
The 1-1 draw in a match Chelsea dominated left them 10 points outside the top four places that will guarantee entry to next season’s Champions League. Asked if they could make up the deficit with six games to play, Conte just laughed, giving vent to his frustration.
His disenchantment is spreading to supporters who booed at the final whistle. Many of them believe the Italian will depart at the end of the season, only 12 months after winning the league.
“I think with this game we can see our season,” Conte told the BBC.
“We can create a lot of chances, but we cannot take them. Then we concede two shots and concede a goal.
“We have had good performances all season, but you have to score. This is not the first time and we have to improve a lot. When you stay in this position in the table, it means that you have a problem.”
For Cesar Azpilicueta, who put Conte’s team ahead before Javier Hernandez’s late equaliser, it is a season that would not be redeemed even by winning the FA Cup, in which they play outsiders Southampton in the semi-final.
“The FA Cup is a massive trophy, but it’s not enough for us. We will try to win it but the Cup will not save our season,” said Azpilicueta.
In contrast, West Ham were buoyant after snatching a draw that had not seemed remotely likely until substitute Hernandez popped up to score soon after coming on.
“We were incredibly committed,” said manager David Moyes, who took over in November when they were in the bottom three.
“Thankfully we stuck at it and got something out of it. Chelsea were really good in the first half but we kept it to one. The goal we lose is dire. I could accept conceding from some of their great play but the goal was so poor.” – Reuters