By Sam Dean at the Emirates Stadium
There have been times this season when Arsenal’s sheer desperation to win this league title has powered them to victory. When the strength of the emotions and desire coursing through their veins, and all around their stadium, have proved to be far more important than any tactical decisions or technical skills.
But willpower can only take you so far and all those emotions can only fuel you for so long. Mikel Arteta said he believed in destiny yet fate can be a nasty beast, and here it teased him and his players. For a few moments, it felt as if another sensational comeback victory was inevitable — and then the whistle blew, and the reality of the situation hit them in the face.
On the night and in the immediate moment, this did not feel disastrous for Arsenal. They were two goals down with two minutes remaining, and did not lose the game. In usual circumstances, such an outcome would be a source of celebration and delirium.
But these are not usual circumstances, and the bigger picture is not a pretty one. Against relegation-threatened Southampton, they conceded three goals and failed to secure three points. That is not how you overpower Manchester City over the course of a season, and it is certainly not how you win league titles.
Three full matches have now passed since Arsenal last felt the sweet sensation of victory, and no stirring comeback — with late goals scored by Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka — can mask the truth of the situation, which is that they have lost their momentum in the title race.
They have also, it seems, lost their ability to defend. Arteta’s side have shipped seven goals in their last three matches, and so many of those have been totally preventable. Here, they managed to concede in the first minute of the game for the second time in just a few weeks.
It does not get any easier: City are up next, away in midweek. For Arsenal that match has now gone from must-not-lose to must-win, and it is hard to see any way in which Arteta’s side can claim three points at the Etihad if they continue to defend like they did here.
The absence of William Saliba due to a back injury has proved just as damaging as Arsenal feared. It was clear all season that the Frenchman was important, but now we know just how important. Arsenal are a different team without him, on and off the ball, and it was no surprise that the cameras picked out his pained face in the stands here, after Carlos Alcaraz, Theo Walcott and Duje Caleta-Car had all struck for Southampton.
For the visitors, this meeting of top against bottom briefly became a night beyond their wildest dreams. With 20 minutes remaining, and with their team leading 3-1, the Southampton fans turned their backs to the pitch and bounced in unison. At the end, their players sank to the floor as the two points evaporated into the sky.
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