Arsene Wenger is fond of pointing out that his team have accumulated more points in 2015 than any other but, in finishing the year with an away performance that was every bit as limp and embarrassing as it also started at St Mary’s, a familiar question persists.
It is not whether Arsenal are good enough to regain a Premier League title they last won in 2004 but whether they have the ruthless consistency to deliver at the most opportune moments. It felt like an answer might have been provided in how they so impressively beat Manchester City on Monday but all that good work was undone in 90 minutes here that were comfortably Arsenal’s worst of the season.
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Southampton were excellent but Arsenal were unrecognisable from the team that beat City, with Per Mertesacker exposed defensively, Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini looking exhausted in midfield and Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud largely anonymous.
Virgil Van Dijk's headed goal for Southampton was judged offside
It was Arsenal’s heaviest defeat of the year, with the frustration compounded by the sense of a massive missed opportunity after Leicester City had earlier lost and they had the chance to move clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Southampton attacking thirds
The door that had been left ajar, however, was slammed firmly in their faces by a Southampton team that were given unexpected inspiration by an extraordinary strike from Cuco Martina who, Roberto Carlos-style with the outside of his foot, swerved their opening goal past Petr Cech.
Wenger had been espousing the benefits of continuity before this game but, having had the luxury of starting an unchanged team for the fourth straight match, the downside of being either unable or unwilling to rotate was soon evident.
Shane Long scores Southampton's second
Arsenal were lethargic while Southampton, despite coping with the enforced absence of both Graziano Pelle and Cedric Soares, were playing with an intensity that defied their recent six-game winless streak.
Jose Fonte (right) scores the third goal for Southampton
Arsenal did mount the first goal threat when Olivier Giroud failed to punish anonymous Southampton defending from an Ozil corner. Nacho Monreal then twice overlapped dangerously down the left but his first chance, following an exquisite Ramsey reverse pass, was blocked by Martina before then also forcing an importance save by Maarten Stekelenburg.
Arsenal attacking thirds
Southampton had clearly planned to exploit the area to Mertesacker’s right, with the Arsenal captain’s lack of pace frequently exposed whenever Hector Bellerin pushed forward.
A despondent Olivier Giroud of Arsenal
Steven Davis was marginally offside when he dropped into space behind Mertesacker but found Ryan Bertrand whose cross was only partially cleared by Mertesacker. Arsenal were slow to react but with the ball bouncing harmlessly in the direction of Martina – the reserve Southampton right-back who had never previously started a Premier League game – there was no obvious reason to anticipate any danger.
Martina, though, duly struck a volley that started at least a metre outside of Cech’s right-hand post before swerving back inside the goal. A further footnote for what is already a goal of the season contender was that Martina also became the first player from Curacao to score a Premier League goal.
Painful watching for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
The audible gasp that accompanied the replay of the goal spoke volumes but the expected response from Arsenal was non-existent. With the exception of Walcott guiding a free header wide, the goal simply enhanced Southampton’s confidence and, with Victor Wanyama driving his team forward solely, they assumed complete control of the game.
Shane Long easily won a race with Mertesacker to sprint onto Wanyama’s lofted through-ball shortly before half-time and should really have put Southampton another goal clear. Southampton did then have the ball in the goal through Virgil van Dijk but his header was ruled offside even though it was actually Long who had drifted behind the last Arsenal defender.
Shane Long scores Southampton's fourth
No matter. Long then soon released Sadio Mane down Southampton’s right and, having appeared to trip Mathieu Flamini off the ball, had a free run into the penalty area where he finished past Cech.
There was still no reaction from Arsenal, with Jose Fonte then out-jumping the entire Arsenal defence to head Bertrand’s corner past Cech. There could even have been several more but, after directing one further chance against the post, Long completed the rout in added time with his second and Southampton’s fourth.
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