Considering that this game was a must-win for many Arsenal fans, thinking that the FA Cup is definitely our best chance of a trophy this season, it was a bit surprising that he made wholesale changes to the side that struggled against Burnley last week.
Well it seems that Arsene does know best and all the players on the field looked like they were fighting for a starting place in the first team. We may have been worried about Danny Welbeck after so long out, but he looked like he had never been away. It was a brilliant through ball from Lucas Perez to set up the first one for Danny and he took it brilliantly.
It didn’t take much longer before we were 2-0 up. Oxlade-Chamberlain looks extremely comfortable against his old side, and he looked as good as Ozil with the brilliant long ball which Welbeck controlled perfectly to slip it into the net. Welbeck then went on latch on to another through ball, and he snicked it back for Walcott to make it three. And to think we were all worried before the game!
Wenger may as well stay in the stands because there is not much need to say anything to the team at all.
The second half started quite pedestrian, and maybe Wenger has told the lads to just have a rest and not take any chances, but we are still making chances. Walcott especially got into a wonderful position before slipping up, metaphorically and actually!
There was a shot of Wenger smiling in the stands with his earpiece in, maybe sharing a little joke about Bouldy being the next manager maybe? lol
The game seems to be petering out, but then Bould amazes everyone by putting on Alexis for Welbeck. You can’t be serious! Why are we risking our best player when we are 3-0 up. Absolute madness. Can you imagine if he gets injured?
Sanchez immediately proves me wrong by providing the assist for Walcott to get his second and Arsenal’s 4th goal! This is definitely looking like Men against Boys right now, but then Iwobi comes on for Reine-Adelaide! Is Bouldy trying to beat these kids into submission? Or simply trying to build confidence for the big games coming up?
Well it doesn’t seem to have worked because Southampton had four good chances in the 10 minutes after Iwobi comes on. You can see that Sanchez is dying to get involved but most of the players look like they are thinking the job is done so why worry?
Of course Sanchez proved me wrong again, by immediately setting up Theo for his hat-trick, so its 5-0, are we going to go for another one in the remaining 5 minutes? Maybe, but Wenger won’t see it as he has just gone down into the dressing room area to wait for his team. Perez gets set up for a 1-on-1 with the keeper which I was certain to be 6, but he couldn’t get it past the keeper. One thing has to be said, Oxlade-Chamberlain has been awesome as a provider today.
It has been great to see Walcott and Welbeck looking fast and hungry after their layoffs, and all in all its been a great win against one of our so-called bogey teams. Maybe this team should be lining up on Tuesday against Watford?
Admin
Maitland-Niles looked very good. Simple and composed.
Ox, Danny and Maitland-Niles were the standouts here. Well done ladz.
Theo too.
You can’t score a hat-trick and not stand out
@A_Girl
True…
Agree on all three,
Honorable mention to Holding, kid always puts in a quality shift when called upon.
Agreed, good all round performance. Maitland-Niles was superb as was Holding. Please don’t send these out on loan .I’d be happy to watch that team every week.
Wow! Just wow!!
Even though the Soton team was largely inexperienced, it is characteristic of Arsenal to bottle it in such games, and considering our team is not one that is expected to have great understanding playing together, I expected a tougher game.
Awesome display, can’t understand how composed Niles played in the CM spot..
Everyone gets a 9!
Brilliant! Can’t wait for Tuesday. Another big win and we’ll be in confident mood for Chelski!
who needs aw? awesome display. my mom ox = gooner for ever
Wenger should be banned for life, he messes the team’s temple when he looks clueless on the bench
Like the way we defended as a team, also…
I think Welbeck was excellent and really standout today! Great movement, ball control and cool finishes. He will be a great player if he can avoid long injuries in the future.
Chamberlain was very good as the central midfielder. As a winger, he can dribble very well and can move very fast, but sometimes his passings and shots are not accurate. So I think if he can focus on being a central midfielder, we will have a good playmaker in the future. Unfortunately Arsenal always puts him in different positions. I think this makes him confused.
Maitland-Niles was also very good as the defensive midfielder. Made a lot of interceptions and good passes. He and the defenders worked very well to guard our area.
Walcott had some accurate shots and Perez had some good assists. Hopefully they can do the same stuffs in the next game.
Nobody praising Perez? Apart from his missed opportunity he was brilliant
@ras911 I was just about to say Lucas was very good. What an excellant signing.
Ox. Walcott.Welbeck. Maitland-Niles. Holding. Gibbs. Is the English project back on? Probably not but nice to enjoy.
Sell Walcott!!!
Its amazing how people can see through the sarcasm.
I muct
…I must confess, I also was on the “SELL WALCOTT” train last summer.
**can’t is what I meant.
Arsenal fans are notorious for taking things too seriously 😉
Glad to see Danny boy back and fit with a double Coyg!
Lucas should have lifted the ball over the keeper and full time 6-0! Coyg
My thoughts
Maitland -Niles solid performance from him!
Maybe Wenger getting banished the stands is a good thing afterall, he gets to see what the fans see and can make adjustments accordingly, a permanent banishment to the stands perhaps? Lol.
I don’t think that’s a bad shout. I’ve long expected that at some point a football manager will take a page out of rugby’s book and choose to sit up in the stands where they can see the whole game and radio instructions down to the bench. Wenger, with all his nervous energy, might not be best suited anymore to prowling the sidelines and wrestling with his zipper. If we go undefeated during his ban, I’d like to see him be brave enough to stay up top for awhile longer.
Oxlade Chamberlain ..take a bow son. Surprised the hell out of me, he has to be tried out there again because that was an absolute masterclass of a performance.
@B-O-T
Looks like we’ve got a new midfield pairing, Ox and M-Niles. They worked well together…
to be honest lads out there today seemed to be more hungry than some of our regulars
Don’t overreact about the win today. They played well because Soton put out 2nd/3rd string team, it was too easy.
@HA559
Not our fault or problem. What were we supposed to do, go easy on them? Like they say”You can only play the 11 put in front of you”
Besides, we had just as many non 2nd stringers as they had. Difference being, ours were better…
Our first team went out last season against a similarly changed lineup. We made allot of changes too, that team were all basically new to one another, that can be the achilles ..making a raft of change. Some of the stuff from us was precision personified, so precise that the best would have found it difficult to nullify.
What you should do is hold your breath (just for now)! Let these youngsters hold there own against a top 10 PL team and then we can go bananas. Makes sense?
Its a great win,but let’s not get carried away,Soton wasn’t at full squad strength like us. Watford game for me would decide if we are ready for chelsea.
good to get a clean win. Everyone great today. Finally we win at St. Mary’s. Hopefully when we face them in the league there we will do just as well