The three best and worst performers from Arsenal’s victory over Southampton

Add as preferred source on Google

Three Worst

Mesut Ozil

The German playmaker still had a few nice moments, but this was his most subdued performance in an Arsenal shirt for some time. In large part, this was because Arsenal’s midfield was unable to find him in threatening positions between the lines. Granit Xhaka specialises in these types of incisive passes forward, but he was left on the bench following international exertions and with Tuesday’s trip to PSG in mind. Francis Coquelin is a different type of defensive midfielder, and Southampton were able to block off Arsenal’s lines of supply to Ozil. Still, the former Real Madrid man did not have his best game and was uncharacteristically caught in possession on a few occasions. Ozil is such an integral part of Arsenal’s game, and they struggle for fluency when he is not sufficiently involved.

Shane Long

Long was a threat after coming on as a substitute, so including him on this list might seem a little harsh. The Irish forward tends to do well against Arsenal, but missed a golden opportunity to win the game for Southampton when Tadic put him through with the game poised at 1-1. Long had the right idea by trying to lift the ball over the onrushing Cech, but the execution was poor and the ball drifted several yards wide of the far post. There is so much to like about the former Reading striker, from his movement to his defensive work rate. However, it is this type of prolificacy that has prevented him from moving up to the Premier League’s top table during his career.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Chamberlain is clearly an immensely talented footballer, but at present he is struggling to translate this potential into tangible performances. He was by no means disastrous yesterday, but it was another game that passed him by. Some claim that Arsene Wenger has not shown enough trust in him, but the fact is he tends to start when fit and the Arsenal boss keep giving the Englishman chances to impress. The former Southampton man is very much an individualist; he wants to take opponents out of the game through direct dribbling and one on one play. However, he is struggling to fit into the fabric of Arsenal’s collective game and cuts an awkward figure at times. Chamberlain does not really link up with any of his teammates and seems to find it difficult to build partnerships on the pitch. In his defence, he would have benefited from Olivier Giroud starting; a genuine winger like Chamberlain who wants to go on the outside needs a striker who can attack crosses.

Featured image: All rights reserved by Emrah Partal