Read David Hytner’s match report:
Southampton took the lead through Charlie Austin in the third minute and led until two minutes from time when Olivier Giroud’s header grabbed a point for an under-par Arsenal
Sun 10 Dec 2017 08.58 EST
First published on Sun 10 Dec 2017 06.00 ESTLive feed
So Arsenal climb above Spurs and into fifth – but they could be 17 points behind Manchester City by the end of today. Southampton still haven’t beaten a top-six side since the Koeman era, but are into the top half and were good value for a win – they led for 85 minutes before Olivier Giroud stepped in. Thanks for reading – time to join my colleague, Ben Fisher, for the Merseyside derby. Bye!
Full time: Southampton 1-1 Arsenal
That’s your lot. A result that’s better for Southampton than Arsenal – but it won’t feel like that after Giroud’s late equaliser.
93 mins: Wilshere, who has offered extra dynamism in midfield, picks out Welbeck, whose cross is flicked goalwards by Ramsey. Forster has plenty of time to collect it.
92 mins: A late Southampton corner, which is punched clear by Cech under pressure from Gabbiadini.
91 mins: Hojbjerg, named man of the match by Francis Benali, sees his shot blocked. He’s been very good, but my vote goes to Jack Stephens.
90 mins: Ozil threatens to set up an Arsenal winner, but delays his final pass too long. Four minutes of injury time.
88 mins: That did not look like it was coming, but that’s the kind of chance you bring Olivier Giroud on for, and he’s rescued a point for Arsenal. A final change for Southampton, with Steven Davis on for Tadic.
GOAL! Southampton 1-1 Arsenal (Giroud 87')
Sanchez drifts into space on the left and angles a cross towards Giroud, who gets between Yoshida and Van Dijk and flicks a header into the bottom corner!
86 mins: Welbeck goes to ground in the middle of the Southampton half, but Bobby Madley is unimpressed. Arsenal running out of time...
84 mins: Sanchez’s effort is on target, bending towards the far corner – but easy enough for Forster to parry away. Goalscorer Charlie Austin is off, replaced by Manolo Gabbiadini.
83 mins: Arsenal free kick in a dangerous spot, after Jack Wilshere is brought down by Oriel Romeu. He’s booked, and Sanchez lines it up, 25 yards out...
82 mins: Southampton break at pace, but Boufal’s pass through to Austin is a fraction too late. Flagged offside, the striker throws his hands up in frustration – and accidentally catches Monreal square in the kisser.
81 mins: Wenger has been giving the fourth official an earful over Southampton slowing the game down for some time, and Stephens is booked for time-wasting.
80 mins: Aside from their big win at Everton, Arsenal have only scored three league goals on the road this season. They look totally blunt here, with two crosses and a corner failing to cause Southampton the slightest problem.
79 mins: Ward-Prowse’s delivery almost finds Van Dijk, who strolled through unsupervised, but Cech collects.
78 mins: A first yellow card for Bellerin, who follows up that hold on Austin with a casual trip on Boufal as he threatened to break into the area.
76 mins: An Arsenal equaliser looked inevitable early in the first half but they’ve repeatedly run aground on the edge of the area. Austin wins a cheap free-kick from Bellerin to add to Arséne Wenger’s frustration.
75 mins: Van Dijk fires a long free kick towards Austin, but overhits it by about half a mile.
73 mins: Final change for Arsenal, as Olivier Giroud comes on for Lacazette. First change for Southampton, with Sofiane Boufal replacing Redmond.
72 mins: Welbeck attempts a cross that is, by any measure, dreadful. Very little quality in the final third from Arsenal today.
Team news for the Merseyside derby, and Jürgen Klopp has made some... interesting changes.
Liverpool: Mignolet; Gomez, Lovren, Klavan, Robertson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Milner, Mane, Solanke, Salah.
Subs: Karius, Wijnaldum, Firmino, Coutinho, Can, Ings, Alexander-Arnold.
Everton: Pickford; Kenny, Holgate, Williams, Martina; Gueye; Calvert-Lewin, Davies, Rooney, Sigurdsson; Niasse.
Subs: Robles, Schneiderlin, Keane, Jagielka, Lennon, Vlasic, Lookman.
70 mins: Twenty minutes to go with Arsenal pushing for an equaliser and Southampton’s front three looking to break on the two players the visitors are leaving back. Buckle up, everyone.
68 mins: Jack Wilshere is getting his chance, replacing Xhaka. From an Arsenal corner, Monreal fires a long-range effort that, on first viewing, looked a lot closer than it was.
67 mins: Those gaps have reappeared in the Arsenal defence and Austin romps past Koscielny on the left. The centre-back brings him down, and is lucky not to be penalised.
65 mins: What a chance for Southampton, after more risible defending from Arsenal! Their new back two, Koscielny and Monreal, get in a mess and Tadic is able to cut the ball back to Bertrand. He’s through on goal, lifts it over Cech – and wide of the far post.
64 mins: Welbeck is on for Per Mertesacker so there’ll be a change of shape, unless he’s going to slot in at centre-back.
62 mins: The away fans have been calling intermittently for Jack Wilshere, but it’s Danny Welbeck who’s coming on for Arsenal.
61 mins: Romeu hits the bar! Bertrand plays a one-two with Romeu, but the midfielder has other ideas – setting himself and cracking a shot off the crossbar from 25 yards! Nobody even considered closing him down.
59 mins: Both teams guilty of wasting openings in the area here. First, Lacazette runs out of room and is dealt with by Van Dijk, before a Southampton break runs out of steam as Dusan Tadic lifts a cross straight to Cech.
57 mins: Ozil whips in a corner which falls to Xhaka on the edge of the box. He volleys it first time – you never quite know what he’s going to do – and the impressive Stephens heads it away.
56 mins: Sanchez almost connects with Ramsey with a quick pass, but Van Dijk gets across and intercepts. Southampton clear, all the way to Pellegrino on the touchline, who brings it down silkily.
55 mins: Bertrand tries, and fails, to pick out Redmond with a pass into the area from tight on the touchline.
53 mins: Southampton break upfield and Redmond tests Cech with a well-struck shot from 25 yards. Arsenal race up the other end, and Ramsey’s cross shot zips just beyond Lacazette’s outstretched boot, and wide.
52 mins: Kolasinac finally finds some space down the left and bombs toward the byline – but Stephens and Ward-Prowse get back, the former denying the wing-back with a sliding tackle.
51 mins: Xhaka gives the ball away and it’s summarily hoofed upfield, all the way back to Cech. It’s a bit early for that.
50 mins: More pinged passes from Arsenal, with Southampton camped in their own half.
48 mins: Arsenal work the ball around the opposing half with quick, slick passes, but there’s no gap in the red and white wall in front of them. Bertrand cuts out a flick over the top from Sanchez, and Southampton get it away.
46 mins: Nathan Redmond gets his head up with Southampton pressing forward, but his diagonal pass towards Austin is intercepted.
Peep!
We’re off again. No changes for either side.
I’d actually say Charlie Austin is Southampton’s most complete forward – although that may say more about his competition. Southampton’s previous No9 was Jay Rodriguez, now heading to the Championship with West Brom.
“Southampton are diving into tackles too much now,” says Ruth Purdue. “They are going to get picked off it they carry on. Arsenal are starting to find space between the lines too.”
It’ll be interesting to see if the hosts can keep their shape in the second half – but Arsenal need a bit more movement from the front three, with Sanchez not looking particularly up for it thus far.
Half-time viewing
The weather outside is frightful, so please enjoy some winter-themed treats from the Guardian archive:
Half time: Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
Arsenal have a free kick to close out the half, but Sanchez’s through ball drifts out for a goal kick. Charlie Austin’s goal is the difference after an up-tempo, end-to-end first half.
44 mins: Another Southampton break ends when Austin’s attempted pass hits Mertesacker on the hand. Austin, and the crowd, are livid with Bobby Madley for letting it go, but it wasn’t deliberate.
42 mins: Austin drifts out to the left and sees Tadic and Ward-Prowse steaming into the box. He tries to pick out the latter, which was perhaps the wrong option. Romeu then almost puts Austin through on goal, but Cech comes out to gather.
41 mins: Bellerin finds space down the right again with Bertrand awol, and his pull-back is fired over by Lacazette. He then goes down under Yoshida’s challenge, but there’s no appeal for a penalty. That has looked Arsenal’s most likely avenue so far.
39 mins: Cech draws a ripple of applause from the home fans with a diving, Van Persie-esque header to clear Hojbjerg’s long ball.
37 mins: A couple of opportunities for Bertrand to find a killer pass from the left, but he dallies on both occasions. Southampton have steadied the ship, or perhaps Arsenal have eased off the gas.
34 mins: Southampton counter that counter – there’s a pattern emerging – but Xhaka denies Redmond with an excellent interception. None of your early kick-off lethargy here.