The Saints took an early lead thanks to an own goal from Petr Cech, but Laurent Koscielny tied things up in spectacular fashion before half-time. Clearly they are still getting used to manager Claude Puel. However, it was old hand Mustafi’s defensive partner Laurent Koscielny, on his 31st birthday, who really lit up the Emirates, via a fabulous overhead kick.
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In the second half Arsenal fans voiced their displeasure at the average performance on display as they never really looked like finding a victor until stoppage-time.
“When you lose the first home game you can not afford to drop points in the second”.
Faced with dropping points in its first home game since losing to Liverpool in the opening round, Arsenal benefited from a favorable refereeing decision 30 seconds after the clock hit 90 minutes. The Chilean found himself in the box after an excellent turn and pass by Mesut Ozil, with his rising shot just missing the target.
It was, though, Southampton who should have made the breakthrough. The striker was immediately amongst the chances. Cech pushed a free-kick from Tadic onto the crossbar, but the ball bounced into his back and crossed the goal line off the ricochet. The game was on a knife edge.
A largely shapeless – if energetic – start by both teams saw them size each other up like two wary but willing pugilists, as if in tribute to the Golovkin/Brook fight later tonight.
Although Cazorla was unaffected this time, Van Dijk did later admit to an act of gamesmanship.
The Frenchman breathed a sigh of relief after the Gunners won a controversial stoppage-time penalty against Southampton and Santi Cazorla struck a 94th-minute victor to secure a 2-1 win. Forster was on point to stop a Cazorla free-kick, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg gave Long the flawless opportunity for the victor, with the forward finding Cech in his path. Mustafi clipped in a smart ball to Giroud, who had his shirt pulled by Fonte and went down.
Referee Bobby Madley wasted little time pointing to the spot, and throwing a lifeline to the Gunners.
It later emerged that Van Dijk became one of the very few players in history to be cautioned for attempting to damage the penalty spot before Santi Cazorla’s 94th-minute victor.
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The Gunners had gotten out of jail, and magisterial Santi had picked the lock for them.
