A late Alexis Sanchez goal ensured that Arsenal took all three points from their Premier League meeting with Southampton this evening in a 1-0 win.
For so long the game appeared to be heading for a goalless draw, with Saints stopper Fraser Forster producing a string of high-quality saves to earn what looked to be another big point for his side.
Chile international Alexis was on hand to tap in with just a minute remaining at the Emirates Stadium, however, to salvage a third victory in seven days for the Gunners.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look back at how the 90 minutes of action unfolded in North London.
Match statistics
ARSENAL
Shots: 15
On target: 8
Possession: 59%
Corners: 9
Fouls: 7
SOUTHAMPTON
Shots: 4
On target: 1
Possession: 41%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 14
Was the result fair?
For so long Southampton looked comfortable this evening, safely holding back any rare Arsenal attacks right up until the moment Sanchez fired home his 14th goal for the club since joining in the summer. When a goalkeeper is awarded the man of the match accolade, you can often assume that the contest was completely one-sided, but in truth this one was a fairly balanced contest which looked destined to end goalless until its dramatic finale.
In fairness, if either side were going to claim a winner it was always going to be the Gunners, who just seemed to up the tempo in the final 10 minutes or so following an uncharacteristic showing previously. Both sides found chances hard to come by in the first half, with Graziano Pelle wasting the visitors' best chance, while Danny Welbeck and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain squandered the best openings for their team. In the end a slender 1-0 win for Arsenal may be just about the right result, yet the manner in which the late goal came about will leave a sour taste in Southampton's mouth.
Arsenal's performance
So often this season the Gunners have struggled to break teams down, which perhaps explains why they had trailed in five of their six home league games before tonight. Arsenal have players who can provide width, and they also boast international stars capable of carving open even the best of defences, but yet again it was left to Sanchez to rescue the hosts.
Of course, all that matters in the end are the three points which lifts Arsene Wenger's charges within two points of a Champions League berth, although the performance will need to increase another couple of levels if they are to sustain that challenge for a top-four spot. This performance lacked any real urgency, which remained the case until late on when Arsenal were duly rewarded with a winning goal.
Southampton's performance
Ronald Koeman would have been delighted by his side's display at the Emirates Stadium this evening, right up until that 89th-minute goal which changed the complexion of things completely. Southampton were struck down by numerous injury problems during the game, with Jack Cork, Shane Long and Dusan Tadic each departing after picking up knocks, while Toby Alderweireld became the latest casualty nine minutes from time to force the Saints to see out the match with 10 men.
Even then, though, they still looked fairly comfortable. Man of the match Forster had to produce a few stunning saves to deny Arsenal, but those chances did not come about through a sustained period of domination, but rather a few openings carved out while the South Coast outfit pushed up the other end. It was a brave but ultimately futile showing in the end, then, which sees Southampton stretch their winless run to three games in the Premier League. It may seem as though the wheels are falling off their charge for a place in Europe with the tough fixtures coming thick and fast, yet there were more than a few positives to take away from this one.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Fraser Forster:
The England international goalkeeper had seven saves to make across the 90 minutes, the vast majority of which required him to be at his superb best to palm them away. The best of the lot came shortly before Arsenal's strike, with Olivier Giroud's close-range header being kept out courtesy of a fine reaction save.
Biggest gaffe
In the end it mattered little, but referee Andre Marriner missed what was a clear handball in the Southampton area in the build-up to the Gunners' opener. Great credit must go to Aaron Ramsey, because instead of standing still and shouting for a penalty like many of his teammates, he continued playing and bagged himself a timely assist.
Referee performance
It was not just that incident which Marriner appeared to get wrong this evening, in what was his first Arsenal game since a comical mix-up against Chelsea last season when he sent the wrong player off at Stamford Bridge. He riled both teams at times with his use of the advantage rule, although it was that late penalty shout which could have led to many more questions had Wenger's men not found a way through.
What next?
Arsenal: The North London club are just starting to find some form now both domestically and in Europe, which they will look to continue away at Stoke City this coming weekend.
Southampton: The fixtures do not get any easier for the Saints, with Manchester United next up in the league.
Daniel Lewis
