Posted by In an entertaining contest that meant much more to the relegation-troubled visitors than the home side, Arsenal managed a 3-2 victory thanks to an 81st minute Danny Welbeck header. Perhaps as important to Arsenal as the victory, Welbeck and Alex Iwobi had confidence-building performances that will create a selection headache for manager Arsene Wenger ahead of the team’s Europa League Quarterfinal second leg against CSKA Moscow. Wenger made seven changes to the side that triumphed 4-1 over the Russians in midweek, starting Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi in a completely modified front four alongside premier league debutant Reiss Nelson and Pierre -Emerick Aubameyang. Although Welbeck was nominally playing from the left, he constantly interchanged positions with Aubameyang or pushed up to join him in a front two, particularly when Saed Kolsainac went forward from his left back berth. Although Arsenal struggled to break down a massed Southampton defense in the game’s early stages, Welbeck’s willingness to accompany Aubameyang helped to create the Gabon forward’s equalizer in the 28th minute. After Alex Iwobi picked up the ball in the hole between Southampton’s midfield and center-backs, he flicked an intelligent ball into Welbeck, who had taken up a position beyond Aubameyang. Although Welbeck is often derided for his lack of technical ability, he provided a deft flick into the path of the onrushing Aubameyang, who managed to poke beyond the onrushing Alex McCarthy in goal.
Ten minutes later Iwobi and Welbeck combined again to put the Gunners into the lead. After heading down for Kolasinac in the channel, Welbeck spun in behind looking for a return pass, which was smartly provided by Iwobi after the ball had been worked to him via Granit Xhaka. The weight of the pass allowed Welbeck to receive in stride and run at Southampton center back Jack Stephens, and, after cutting inside Stephens, his powerful shot deflected off of Maya Yoshida and into the net. These two first half contributions from Welbeck highlighted his ability to hurt opposing defenses both from a fixed outside forward position and as a more roving forward threat working in tandem with a center forward.
After overturning an early Shane Long strike, only his second Premier League goal of the season, Arsenal started the second half as they had finished the first, with Iwobi again playing provider to slide in Aubameyang, who saw his effort saved by McCarthy. Following an even better stop on a low, swerving Granit Xhaka drive, McCarthy was worked for the third time in mere minutes as Iwobi tested him with fizzing drive from just outside the box. Although the effort was saved, the Nigerian’s willingness to test McCarthy contrasted with his lack of confidence in front of goal during his cameo against CSKA, where he elected to slide a ball across goal to Lacazette after being put clean through by Mesut Ozil. Playing for their Premier League lives, the Saints came back into the game after Arsenal’s early second half pressure, creating a flurry of chances that eventually led to substitute Charlie Austin’s equalizer. However, the oft-marginalized Iwobi and Welbeck would not waste their opportunity to receive the plaudits usually reserved for attacking protagonists like Ozil and Aubameyang. In the 77th minute Iwobi worked space for himself on the right edge of the Southampton box, engineering a brilliant floated ball to the back post, which allowed Jack Wilshere to square across goal. Although presented with an open net from a few yards out, Welbeck somehow managed to spoon over. While it looked like he had wasted Arsenal’s final opportunity to gain a victory that would put Southampton into further relegation trouble, just minutes later Iwobi again brilliantly escaped the attention of Dusan Tadic and lifted a cross to the back post where the waiting Welbeck was able to outjump Cederic Soares and head in a redemptive and deciding strike.
The timeliness and importance of the match-winning contributions from Welbeck and Iwobi cannot be understated following the knee ligament injury suffered by Henrikh Mkhitaryan against CSKA, which is expected to keep him out for at least the next two weeks. Mkhitaryan’s injury creates a vacancy in the Gunners front four for the return leg in Moscow, and possibly the first or both legs of a potential Europa League semifinal. Fortunately for Wenger, on the back of their performances against Southampton, his two most likely replacements will go into the return leg full of confidence and ready to provide similarly convincing contributions on Russian soil.
Just for Kicks 