Wenger hails Welbeck

ARSENE Wenger hailed Danny Welbeck as “exceptional” as the Arsenal forward scored a late winner to condemn relegation-threatened Southampton to defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

Charlie Austin came off the bench to equalise for Saints with his first touch after Shane Long’s earlier effort had been cancelled out by goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Welbeck.

But Welbeck was on hand to score a second of the afternoon and secure a 3-2 win for Arsenal — who have won six games in a row for the first time this season — as a fiery end to the game saw both sides finish with 10 men as Jack Stephens and Mohamed Elneny saw red.

“Danny Welbeck is getting sharper, because he has been out for a while,” said Wenger.

“He had every reason to feel sorry for himself and think this mountain is too big to climb. He had the right knee, the left knee, a year out both times, but he worked hard, which i s unnoticed by everybody.

“People were questioning if he’d come back or not, t hat is t he most difficult test for any sportsperson. I believe what he has done is exceptional.”

Defeat for Southampton leaves them in the relegation zone and three points from safety after they lost their early lead here.

The l ate red card for Stephens only compounded the loss — with Mark Hughes unhappy that Jack Wilshere was not also dismissed following the tangle with the Saints defender.

“I think there should have been another red — Wilshere should have been sent off,” he said.

Danny Welbeck