Arsenal vs Southampton player ratings and analysis: Unai Emery getting the best out of Granit Xhaka

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Jack Rosser @JackRosser_24 February 2019

Arsenal moved back into the Premier League top four with a straightforward victory over struggling Southampton.

First-half goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were enough to secure a 2-0 win which leaves Saints in the relegation zone

While Southampton pushed for a way back into the game, Arsenal held on for a welcome double of a clean-sheet and three points.

Unai Emery's men leapfrog Manchester United into fourth, with the Red Devils drawing at home to title-chasing Liverpool

Jack Rosser rates Arsenal's players and assesses the key talking points at the Emirates...

Player ratings

Here's how Arsenal fared vs Southampton


Leno: 7
Lichtsteiner: 6
Mustafi: 7
Sokratis: 7​
Kolasinac: 7​
Torreira: 7​
Xhaka: 8​
Iwobi: 7
Ramsey: 7​
Mkhitaryan: 8​
Lacazette: 7

Back-to-back wins for Gunners

On a weekend where Arsenal were presented with the chance to take a big step forward in the race for the top four, they finally found some consistency.

Action Images via Reuters

Southampton ended Arsenal’s 22-game unbeaten run with a late Charlie Austin winner in December, and since then the Gunners had not managed back-to-back wins in the Premier League.

With Chelsea not in action and United facing the tough task of Liverpool, three points against the Saints were vital. While Southampton’s abhorrent first half largely handed the game to the Gunners before things improved a little after the break, the hosts managed proceedings well reducing the visitors to the odd effort from distance.

With Bournemouth the visitors in the week, another game which Unai Emery will be expecting maximum points from, Arsenal have the chance to build a solid foundation for their top four push over the run-in before they face Tottenham on Saturday.

Their north London rivals could also offer Emery a helping hand mid-week when they visit top four chasing Chelsea.

Xhaka continues development under Emery

Action Images via Reuters

The Swiss midfielder’s status seems only to be growing under the tutelage of Emery. Too often relied upon as the sole man to hold the midfield together under Arsene Wenger, Xhaka shone alongside Lucas Torreira against Southampton.

His first-half performance, complete with long range effort curling just wide, in particular highlighted his development this season.

After a peculiar opening spell in which Southampton should have moved ahead before going one down and then level before conceding once more, Xhaka knuckled down and began to pull the strings, blocking every Southampton move through the middle before feeding those ahead of time time and again.

The visitors’ move to a back four after the break handed them more control but Xhaka’s performance ensured very little was made for it.

There is still a long way to go in his development, but Xhaka is beginning to prove his worth at the Emirates.

Iwobi and Mkhitaryan on song

PA

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has long been a bit of a forgotten man here at Arsenal, while Alex Iwobi has been handed the challenge of keeping his place in Emery’s side since the Spaniard added Denis Suarez in January.

Against Southampton, though, both wingers showed some sparkling form. Iwobi squared for Mkhitaryan for Arsenal’s second, minutes after the Armenian had remained aware while all others in the Southampton box appealed for a penalty as his volley found the net vai Alexandre Lacazette.

More than the goals though the duo linked well with both Lacazette and Aaron Ramsey, causing a bamboozled Southampton defence no end of problems during a relentless first half.

Iwobi departed with an injury late on, which could be a concern, but neither, when fit, should be too worried looking over to the figure of Suarez on the Arsenal bench.

PA

Basement battle narrows

REUTERS

Southampton’s appointment of Ralph Hasenhuttl following the dismissal of Mark Hughes before Christmas looked a masterstroke when the Austrian led his side to the win over the Gunners at St. Mary’s.

The longer he has had to work with the Saints, though, the more confused things appear to have become within his ranks. The former RB Leipzig manager still looks a shrewd appointment and a good addition to the Premier League, though time is running out to ensure his side stay there.

With Burnley, Crystal Palace and Newcastle all picking up points on Saturday, the battle for the drop looks to be narrowing to just Southampton, Cardiff and perhaps Brighton, with both Huddersfield and Fulham looking down already.

Claudio Ranieri’s hapless Fulham visit Southampton on Wednesday before the Saints take on Manchester United and Tottenham, a trip to an inconsistent Arsenal looked a real chance, and one they let slip. Dangerous times on the south coast.

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