A goal in either half from Sadio Mane and Dusan Tadic secured Southampton a 2-0 victory from their home encounter with Arsenal this afternoon.
Mane lobbed the hosts into the lead with 34 minutes played, before Tadic made sure of the points nine minutes after the restart when he slotted in at the near post.
Here, Sports Mole has looked back over the contest to determine if the result was a fair one, or whether the scoreline was harsh on visiting Arsenal.
Match statistics
SOUTHAMPTON
Shots: 13
On target: 6
Possession: 41%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 14
ARSENAL
Shots: 11
On target: 6
Possession: 59%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 7
Was the result fair?
While the statistics may suggest that Arsenal were the dominant force, it's what you do with the possession that ultimately counts. They created a couple of good openings, but found Fraser Forster in good form.
Meanwhile, up the other end, the Saints made the most of two horrific mistakes from Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. On reflection, you'd have to say that Southampton deserved their win, having attacked and defended with equal vigour.
Southampton's performance
Having shown against Chelsea last time out that they could mix it with the bigger clubs in the Premier League, this was a Southampton side that were full of confidence today. Early on they created chances, while they also defended well. What's more, on the occasions that the rearguard was breached, Forster was on hand to bail his side out.
What will have pleased Ronald Koeman was the fact that his team made the most of their chances. On occasions, such as in the game against Manchester United early last month, they spurned opportunities, but today they were clinical. Tadic looked sharp on the wing, while Graziano Pelle was a constant threat up front.
Arsenal's performance
It may be a new year, but this was the same old Arsenal. Their problems are so obvious, it must be painful for Arsenal supporters to see Arsene Wenger appear to be so reluctant to solve the issues. As you'd expect from an Arsenal team, they were lively in attack with some neat passes, which created a handful of openings.
However, it's the holding midfield, defensive and goalkeeping positions that continue to bite the Gunners on the backside. Szczesny may have been at fault for both goals, but the performances of centre-backs Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny cannot be ignored. Both looked lethargic and were easily beaten on numerous occasions. If Wenger doesn't address those weaknesses soon, expect even more of the Gunners faithful to turn against him.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Dusan Tadic: He may have struggled for match fitness of late, but the Serbian was back to his best today. His trickery and pace caused problems throughout the game and while he was fortunate that an opportunity fell his way, he showed good composure to convert it.
Biggest gaffe
Take your pick from either of the errors by Szczesny that resulted in Southampton's goals. The first saw him race off his line when there was absolutely no need, then for the second his attempted clearance fell straight to the feet of Tadic. All in all it was not a good day at the office for the Pole.
Referee performance
There was one major decision for Craig Pawson to make today, but sadly for him he got it badly wrong. When Florin Gardos brought down Arsenal attacker Alexis Sanchez on the edge of the Southampton box, a red card looked inevitable. The Saints defender's face told you that he was fearing the worst, but Pawson amazingly only brandish a yellow card. Aside from that, Pawson did well, but it's difficult to forget such a glaring error.
What next?
Southampton: The Saints turn their attention to the FA Cup on Sunday when they play host to Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town.
Arsenal: As for Arsenal, it's a repeat of last season's final as Hull City make the trip to the Emirates Stadium for a round three clash.
Liam Apicella
