Gunners tripped up by Bednarek
PRATT
MIKEL ARTETA had that look of bemused disbelief after Arsenal blew a golden chance to reclaim pole position in the race for fourth place. Tottenham’s lunchtime loss to Brighton opened the door for their north London neighbours to seize back the initiative in the Champions League qualification scrap.
Yet instead of storming through it, the Gunners tripped up on the threshold, Jan Bednarek’s strike sending them to defeat at struggling Southampton – their third consecutive reverse in as many weeks.
Talk about pressing the selfdestruct button.
Afterwards Gunners chief Arteta moaned: “It’s difficult to explain because this is football, not basketball. The game was decided in the boxes, they score with one chance, we didn’t with many.
“It’s a huge opportunity missed.
It’s very disappointing. We have to score more goals than we are at moment.
“If we don’t then we have no chance of being up there. The players are really down because they can’t find the answers.”
This result means Arsenal’s return to Europe’s elite, following five years in the wilderness, is once more dependant on Spurs messing up more than them.
And it also hauls Manchester United, who go to the Emirates next Saturday, into the mix.
Whatever the final outcome in the rollercoaster top-four battle that no one seems capable of winning, it is going to the wire.
If Brighton’s success at Spurs swung things back in their favour, the visitors still had to shake off two dreadful displays – against Crystal Palace and the Seagulls – to take advantage at St Mary’s.
And then a find way past simply sensational
Saints keeper Fraser
Forster.
Yet Forster, recently recalled to the England squad, had not read the script as he produced a stream of spectacular saves throughout.
And it was Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale, at £30million the most expensive British keeper, who was caught out on the stroke of half-time when Bednarek’s drive beat him at the near post.
Saints chief Ralph
Hasenhuttl reserved special praise for unbeatable Forster, revealing he only passed a fitness hours before kick-off.
The Austrian said: “We knew it was time to show a reaction. We wanted to minimise our mistakes. It’s good to know we can defend like this.
“Our keeper was exceptional.we must not forget that without him it would have been different.
“He was out with an ankle injury yesterday in training.we only knew he could play this morning. I’m happy for him.”