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Arsenal’s Gabriel reacts after a challenge to Theo Walcott (Getty).
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saved Mikel Arteta from another nightmare at the Emirates Stadium as the Arsenal The captain salvaged a 1-1 draw against Southampton when Gunners defender Gabriel was sent off.
With Arteta under intense pressure after his team’s recent regrettable run, the Arsenal manager was moving uneasily on the touchline when Theo Walcott put Southampton ahead in the first half on Wednesday.
Walcott’s goal against his troubled former club was a painful twist of the knife, but Aubameyang ended an 11-game goalless streak in open play with his second-half draw.
Arsenal had to play the final 28 minutes with 10 men after Gabriel was sent off for a second caution, but they stood their ground to avoid the ignominy of a fifth straight loss at home.
While a point was a relief for Arteta under the circumstances, his 50th game in charge was no cause for celebration.
Arsenal languish in 15th place after seven losses in their first 13 league games and are much closer to the relegation zone than the top four.
Arteta insisted this week that he is strong enough to stand up to the pressure of Arsenal’s worst start to the season since 1974.
But the Gunners’ six-game winless streak in the league leaves him locked in a fight to save his job heading into the hectic Christmas season.
Arteta made four changes from Burnley’s loss last weekend, with Nicolas Pepe, Eddie Nketiah, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Dani Ceballos entering.
Despite the changes, Arsenal still seemed lacking in confidence.
Disorganized at the rear and lacking leadership in midfield, Arteta’s side opened up easily when Walcott put Southampton ahead in the 18th minute.
Somehow, it was inevitable that Walcott, who scored 108 goals for Arsenal between 2006 and 2018, would be the man to add to their woes.
Arsenal carelessly gave up possession and Che Adams made them pay with a good pass behind Kieran Tierney to select Walcott, who ran and finished off with a good shot on Bernd Leno.
Walcott’s joyous celebration made it clear that he had no problem putting salt on his former club’s wounds.
With London clubs no longer allowed to have fans in their stadiums due to tightening of coronavirus lockdown restrictions, Arteta was spared the possibility of Arsenal fans turning against him.
If that was fortunate for the Spaniard, he was not so lucky on the field, as Ceballos appealed to a penalty in vain when he went to the ground after a contact from Jan Bednarek.
Aubameyang was anonymous in the first half, maintaining a pattern since signing his new contract in September.
But when Arteta needed him most, the Gabon forward came to his rescue with just his fifth goal of the season in the 52nd minute.
Bukayo Saka was the catalyst with a superb run that edged out three Southampton players down the left wing.
Nketiah took Saka’s pass and deftly guided the ball into Aubameyang’s path and delivered a fresh shot into the corner furthest from the edge of the box.
Having ended a streak of more than 13 hours without a league goal in open play, Arteta’s relief was evident as he celebrated by punching the air.
But there was more distress for Arteta in the 62nd minute when Gabriel was sent off.
Guilty of getting too close to Walcott, the winger’s nimble spin triggered a panicky entry from the center-back, knocking him down and unable to complain about his early departure.
It was Arsenal’s second red card in two games, and the seventh of Arteta’s 12-month reign, following Granit Xhaka’s silly firing for grabbing Ashley Westwood from Burnley by the neck at the weekend.
In a tense finish, Southampton’s Nathan Redmond stretched out to shoot off the crossbar before Arsenal defender Rob Holding hit the wood with a header in injury time.
