Arsenal scored three goals against English Premier League bottom Southampton on matchday 32 today, registering their third consecutive draw and risking Manchester City moving closer to the top.
The London team, who have led for months in a row, are already showing signs of accusatory pressure as the Premier League draws to a close, with two draws in the previous two rounds against Liverpool (2-2) at Anfield Road. and in the derby with West Ham (2-2), and despite the persecution that has moved Manchester City, who have won their last six league games.
Southampton surprised the London side with two goals in the first quarter, just after 30 seconds, through Argentina midfielder Carlos Alcaraz, who took advantage of a gross error by the home defense, and after the 14th minute, when striker Théo Walcott assisted by the same Alcaraz de lead to 2-0.
The reaction from the gunners was immediate and in the 20th minute Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli reduced the lead to 2-1, leading to belief in an eventual re-climb as there were over seventy minutes of the game remaining. .
However, Southampton’s resistance did not break and the team from the south of England not only remained cohesive in defence, but also proved ‘toxic’ on the counter-attack, to the point of adding five shots to Arsenal’s goal at half-time, more two than his opponent, despite having 66% possession.
Things got even more complicated in the second half for the leader, who solidified possession but couldn’t push through Southampton’s defensive ‘wall’, increasing the lead to 3–1 through Croatian center Duje in the 66th minute. Caleta-Car after a corner following an initial deflection of the ball by his central defense colleague, Germany’s Armel Bela-Kotchap, with a header.
When Southampton’s win seemed inevitable, Arsenal had the aura of champions, and in a final ‘forcing’ final, which had its dramatic moments, managed to equalise, with a superb goal from Martin Odegaard and another from Boukayo Saka , in the 88th and 90th minutes. , respectively.
The injury period lasted up to 10 minutes, with moments of drama, before the ‘gunners’ were finally ‘pressed’ in an attempt to complete the turnaround, which culminated in a fall in the area of Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus, who led the Arsenal team chased referee Simon Hooper onto the field and claimed a penalty, but he did not answer.
With these two points lost, keeping the championship ‘burning’, Arsenal are just four ahead of Manchester City, 74 to 70 from their rival, but they are two games short of the ‘gunners’.
Manchester United follow in third place with 59 points (30 games), Newcastle in fourth place with 56 (30) to close the quartet that gives access to the Champions League, and Tottenham, in fifth place, who qualify for the Europa League, with 53 (31).
Source: DN
