Arsenal 3-0 Southampton: 4 talking points from Saints thrashing

Arsenal 3-0 Southampton: 4 talking points from Saints thrashing in the Premier League as Aubameyang is excluded from the squad. (Photo by STEVE BARDENS/AFP via Getty Images)

Arsenal has bounced back from consecutive poor defeats to Manchester United and Everton to secure a crucial 3-0 win over Southampton at the Emirates.

First-half goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Martin Odegaard sent the Gunners on their way before Gabriel headed home Arsenal’s third early in the second half.

Mikel Arteta’s men started poorly with Southampton regularly dispossessing and pushing Arsenal back. The home side was consistently sloppy in possession and did not look at the races at all. Confidence was low and they couldn’t bypass the Saints’ high press.

However, 21 minutes in, the game changed.

Arsenal 3-0 Southampton: 4 talking points from Saints thrashing in the Premier League as Aubameyang is excluded from the squad

A sweeping move that started with Aaron Ramsdale ended with Bukayo Saka squaring a ball for Lacazette who hit his shot first time to give Arsenal the lead. A delightful goal played from back to front. Risk for reward.

Just six minutes later the home side doubled their lead with a header from Martin Odegaard, this his third in as many games. It was a fairly scrappy goal in which Kieran Tierney eventually got the ball out of his feet to dink a header in to find Odegaard, who also used his head to nod home.

Arsenal’s third came in the second half when Gabriel, who already had one goal disallowed, rose highest to head home Gabriel Martinelli’s corner to end the game as a contest. Willy Caballero was flapping.

There were plenty of talking points from Arsenal’s vitally important win over Southampton. Here they are.

Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta (L) hugs Arsenal’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as he leaves the field during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Aston Villa. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

1. Aubameyang’s Time is Coming to an End

Arsenal’s captain was left out of the matchday squad entirely for a ‘disciplinary breach’, one later confirmed to be due to him not arriving back from a scheduled trip overseas in time.

This is not the first time for the Arsenal skipper, either; in March he was missing from Arsenal’s win over Tottenham for a breach of pre-match protocol having turned up late. This is simply not acceptable for a Premier League player, let alone the captain of Arsenal.

When in the mood, Aubameyang is one of the best strikers on the planet, however, those days are now few and far between. More often than not, Arsenal is better when he is not on the pitch.

It is a concerning theme with Aubameyang and it is something that needs to be sorted out quickly. For many, the writing is on the way for the Gabon international. While moving him on will be a challenge given his huge wages, it might just be the best thing for a young Arsenal team who needs leadership from their captain, not mediocre performances and horrible attitude.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, Aubameyang’s time with Arsenal could be coming to an end.

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