Arsenal 1-1 Southampton: 5 talking points as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ends goal drought

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ended an 11-game league winless streak in open play when 10-man Arsenal shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Southampton.

Theo Walcott scored the first goal to put Southampton momentarily above the table, picking up the pass from Che Adams and knocking down Bernd Leno in the 18th minute.

But Aubameyang ended his sterile spell early in the second half to bring the Gunners’ level up after good work from Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal’s hopes of winning the match took a severe blow when Gabriel was penalized for holding Walcott and received his marching orders with a second yellow card just after the appointed time.

Nathan Redmond nearly scored the winning goal for Southampton off the bench as he struck the bar.

But the Gunners were able to hold out a draw after playing 30 minutes with one man down, and they nearly got three points for the hosts when their overtime effort hit the bar.

Here are five talking points from Emirates Stadium.

1. Aubameyang finds the bottom of the net

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ended one of the most challenging moments of his distinguished career with his goal in the 52nd minute.

The Arsenal captain had not scored in open play since the opening day win in Fulham and had only scored two Premier League goals this season, while serious questions were raised about the decision to hand him a lucrative new contract last summer.

But Aubameyang silenced his critics with a vital goal to prevent Arsenal from succumbing to a fourth loss in a row.

It was a classic shot from the Gabonese, opening his body to huddle at the far post after an ingenious exchange on the edge of the box.

Perhaps that was the goal the captain needed to find his form and get the Gunners out of their routine.

2. Walcott’s revival continues

Theo Walcott turned the years back with a delicious dink to put Southampton ahead against Arsenal.

The 31-year-old, who scored 108 goals for the Gunners, grabbed onto Che Adams’ pass and shot over a Bernd Leno trapped in no man’s land.

Walcott has frequently had a frustrated figure at Everton in recent seasons, but is enjoying a resurgence while on loan at his former club.

Saints coach Ralph Hasenhuttl is bringing out the best in the former England international by giving him the license to enter from the flank and exploit the space between center and left back.

Walcott’s ability to turn quickly saw Gabriel collect his second yellow card and put Southampton firmly in charge for the final half hour.

He has two goals and two assists in eight appearances for Southampton and took a step forward when Danny Ings succumbed to injury earlier in the season.

With Ings now back in the lineup, Walcott shooting and Che Adams in good shape, Southampton will put a lot more defenses to the test during the festive period.

3. Improved Arsenal Attack

True, the bar has been set very low recently, but there were signs of improvement in Arsenal’s three readjusted forwards.

Mikel Arteta dropped shy forwards Alexandre Lacazette and Willian for the Southampton visit, introducing Nicolas Pepe and Eddie Nketiah.

Pepe was the Gunners’ most threatening player in the first half and attacked Alex McCarthy early on, while Nketiah linked the attack the way Lacazette has not in recent games.

Nketiah also picked up vital tie assist from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while Bukayo Saka played a vital role in goal preparation and benefited from playing in a more familiar full-back role than attacking itself.

Gabriel’s red card just 10 minutes after the draw led to Nketiah being sacrificed for David Luiz and dampened hopes that Arsenal could come from behind to win, but there were some glimpses of promise of a three-way change from Arsenal. .

4. Lack of discipline at Arsenal

Alarmingly for Mikel Arteta, poor discipline seems to have seeped into Arsenal’s ranks.

No team has received more red cards than Arsenal’s seven since the Spaniard took office in December last year.

Gabriel’s expulsion marked the Gunners’ third red card in five games, following recent acts of petulance by Nicolas Pepe and Granit Xhaka.

The Brazilian was desperate not to be diverted by Theo Walcott and held on to the Englishman just four minutes after he was booked for colliding with Che Adams.

Gabriel’s mid-way challenge over Walcott was not only unnecessary but also costly, ending Arsenal’s hopes of a first win in six games just 10 minutes after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s draw.

5. The result tests Edu’s determination

The Aresnal hierarchy gave their support to Mikel Arteta earlier this week when Edu backed the Spaniard to lead the Gunners to a “great, great, great and beautiful future.”

The technical director also asked for patience, as Arteta aims to change Arsenal’s bad form.

But seeing his side hold on to a draw at home to Southampton will test the determination of Arsenal bosses as the club continues to languish in 15th place.

Next up is a trip to Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton on Saturday before a London derby with Chelsea on Boxing Day. Sandwiched between the two Premier League games is a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Manchester City.

It’s a challenging game series that can make or break Arteta’s future in the Emirates hot seat.

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