Danny Welbeck double earns Arsenal a sixth win in a row
Arsenal 3, Southampton 2
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger toasted his teams new-found momentum after they overcame a raft of changes and a stubborn Southampton side to register a sixth consecutive win in all competitions.
England forward Danny Welbecks second goal nine minutes from time decided a see-saw Premier League contest that ended with two red cards, as Gunners midfielder Mohamed Elneny followed Saints defender Jack Stephens down the tunnel.
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Goal-shy striker Shane Long had given the visitors a surprise early lead, but striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Welbeck earned the hosts a half-time lead and Southampton substitute Charlie Austin equalised to set up the dramatic finale.
Victory lifted Arsenal to within three points of fifth-placed Chelsea, who were held at home by West Ham, while Southampton remain 18th, three points away from safety.
“Southampton were leading, they came back to 2-2, and every time I believe we have shown great spirit, even if at the end of the game it was a bit hectic,” said Wenger.
“When it was not all easy we again found the resources to win the game. I was always confident because I see this team behave every day and you can only be proud of their behaviour.”
Wenger made seven changes to the team that beat CSKA Moscow on Thursday, with this weeks return leg of the Europa League quarter-final in mind, including a first league start for 18-year-old winger Reiss Nelson.
Southampton looked set to capitalise on Arsenals experimental selection when Long, who had scored just once in 46 games, beat defender Shkodran Mustafi to a Cedric Soares cross to the near post and caressed the ball past goalkeeper Petr Cech.
Aubameyang levelled with his fifth goal in four games, prodding past Saints stopper Alex McCarthy after one-touch build-up involving him, Welbeck and Alex Iwobi.
The turnaround continued in the 38th minute when Iwobi found Welbeck, he cut in from the right and his shot ricocheted off Maya Yoshida, high into McCarthys net.
McCarthy saved from Aubameyang and Iwobi soon after the restart but Southampton rallied and Cech denied Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Long either side of Elneny clearing Wesley Hoedts header off the line.
Austin maintained his record of scoring in every league appearance against the Gunners, tapping in from close range after Cedric had slalomed through the home defence.
But Welbeck had the last word – and neatly distilled his Arsenal career – by making amends for a missed open goal seconds earlier by nodding in Iwobis floated cross to the back post.
Red mist descended in stoppage time as first Stephens was dismissed, for a shove on Jack Wilshere in retaliation for having his shirt ripped, and then Elneny marched off for pushing Cedric.
Read more: Relegation-threatened Saints sack Mauricio Pellegrino
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