‘Pinning back’: BBC pundit spotted which Arsenal player made Granit Xhaka look so good against Southampton

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Arsenal couldn’t keep up their brilliant winning run of form as they were held by a resilient Southampton side on the south coast today.

The Gunners took an early lead thanks to Granit Xhaka but a Stuart Armstrong leveller ensured the spoils were shared.

The result keeps Arsenal top of the Premier League table but Manchester City now sit just two points back, while Spurs can also close to within two with a win over Newcastle United today.

Once again for Arsenal, goalscorer Xhaka was a positive throughout. But while he might have taken the plaudits for the goal he scored, BBC pundit Steve Sidwell pointed out it was actually Gabriel Martinelli’s play which helped Xhaka look so good at St Mary’s.

“Xhaka is just on the edges of Ward-Prowse. Martinelli is pinning back the full back and Elyounoussi as well. So there is plenty of space for Xhaka to get on the ball at the moment. He can pick a pass or score himself as we have already seen,” Sidwell said for the BBC.

Of course, Xhaka had to have the composure to smash in his goal. But the spot from Sidwell here is worth noting, and must be something Mikel Arteta asks of Martinelli.

TBR’s View: Martinelli And Xhaka Key For Arsenal

It is definitely a tactical ploy by Mikel Arteta to get Xhaka and Martinelli operating such a way down that side of the pitch.

Martinelli seems to be able to use his pace and pressing to harass defenders while Xhaka can then make the most of his new found freedom in midfield to get into good positions in the final third.

1-1 wasn’t the perfect scoreline for Arsenal today. But it’s another point on the board and over the course of a long season, one which might well play a big part.