Leno getting lippy: What we learned from Arsenal v Southampton

Leno getting lippy: What we learned from Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Southampton in the Premier League

By Adam Le Roux

It really says something when we are sat here today pulling the positives out of a 1-1 draw with Southampton as Arsenal still languish in bottom six of the Premier League, but the way things have been going of late, beggars can’t be choosers. 

There were definitely a number of promising signs from the clash with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, including the fact that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted for the first time in six Premier League outings to salvage a point for the Gunners. 

But the fact still remains that it is half a dozen league matches without a victory for Mikel Arteta’s side, who had Gabriel dismissed in the second half to make it three red cards in the last five domestic matches - more than the amount of goals they’ve scored in that time. 

As ever, there was plenty to talk about following the midweek clash at the Emirates, including a grumpy goalkeeper and a gloating ex-Gunner, as Arsenal picked up their first point at home since the start of October. 

Leno pulls no punches

The winless run seems to be frustrating everybody associated with Arsenal Football Club at this moment in time, with players and fans alike itching for that elusive victory to put smiles back on faces. 

The longer the Gunners go without a victory, the more the pressure mounts on Mikel Arteta, with the Spaniard overseeing one of the worst starts to a season in the history of the club. 

But after the Saints draw, shot stopper Bernd Leno came out to defend his boss, and admitted that the players on the pitch should be the ones taking responsibility for failing to take a three-point haul for over a month. 

“The coach is least to blame for the fact that we are in this situation,” Leno said. “If you look at the way we were running around on the pitch at times, then the players are the only ones to blame.

"The attitude is bad, the discipline is lacking and we have no self-confidence. There are many factors at play here. 

"We have addressed this very clearly internally and everyone agrees that we have to change this very quickly. We're getting red cards, making mistakes, standing out of position.

“These are things that we have clearly addressed a thousand times. In the end, it's a lack of focus on the part of the players.

“The coach is not an issue in the dressing room, there is no criticism of him. We criticise ourselves and the players know that they are responsible.”

It was a scathing reality check from the big German, who didn’t hold back in his assessment of his side’s performance on Wednesday evening. 

At a time where the cloud over the Emirates seems to be growing by the day, Leno’s words prove that this team is right behind the manager, which is exactly where they should be when the going gets tough. 

The only way things are going to turn around is if the whole club is pulling in the same direction, and once the confidence comes back, surely the results will follow. 

Auba’s still got it

What a relief it must have been for Arsenal fans to see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finding the back of the net once again, with the Gabonese striker coolly converting an opportunity early in the second half to draw the scores level. 

You have to go back to the first day in November for the last time the striker found the net, as his penalty sealed all three points at Old Trafford, and all the way back to the first day of the season for his last strike from open play, when Fulham were dispatched 3-0.

It was still not his finest game by any stretch of the imagination, but the confidence the former Borussia Dortmund man must have gained from seeing the net ripple once again will surely bode well for the season ahead. 

Without his goals, Arsenal have looked blunt going forward this season, but the fantastic interplay by Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah to tee him up gave him the time and space to pick his spot past Alex McCarthy to fire in his third Premier League goal of the season.

With Everton and Chelsea coming up in the next week, as well as the visit of Manchester City in the Carabao Cup next Tuesday, having the 2018/19 Golden Boot winner back to his best could make all the difference in a crucial period for the club. 

Walcott wallows in Emirates return

It was always going to happen, wasn’t it? Theo Walcott just had to rub salt into the wounds on his return to the Emirates, as the former Arsenal man opened the scoring against the club he called home for 12 years before departing in 2018. 

The 31-year-old showcased some of the talent we had all seen glimpses of in his time in a red and white shirt as he took his goal with composure; dinking over the onrushing Leno to give the visitors an early lead. 

And with Southampton playing in their usual energetic manner, they were able to take the game to their hosts, with the ex-Gunner sensing some panic within his opponents during the 90 minutes.

“I felt a lot of fear in Arsenal, to be honest. They’re going through a very difficult time and we’re one of the worst teams to play at this moment in time,” Walcott said.

It was quite the damning suggestion from the England international, with the premise being that the Emirates is no longer being the fortress that it once was, where teams could be beaten before they even took to the pitch. 

But with no home win in the Premier League since the disposal of bottom-side Sheffield United over two months ago, Walcott may well have a point, these players need to play without fear if they are going to dominate matches once again.

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