Southampton 3-2 Arsenal: Gunners' 22-game unbeaten run ended by THREE headers

Danny Ings' double and Charlie Austin's late header gave lowly Southampton a precious victory over in-form Arsenal at St Mary's.

Match Report

Charlie Austin gave Ralph Hasenhuttl his first victory in charge of Southampton and ruined Arsenal's 22-game unbeaten run with an 85th-minute winner in a 3-2 triumph on Sunday.

Danny Ings and Henrikh Mkhitaryan both hit braces before Bernd Leno came and missed Shane Long's cross to allow substitute Austin to head the hosts to their first victory in 15 outings.

Much of the build-up centred on the role Laurent Koscielny, starting his first top-flight match since April, would play in stabilising a makeshift three-man defence, yet it was he who twice lost Ings for a pair of first-half headers.

Mkhitarayan replied with one of his own before the break and levelled for the second time with a deflected 53rd-minute shot, but the Gunners' second-half fightback stopped short on this occasion as they were left three points adrift of the top four.

Match Events

5' CHANCE! Aubameyang's shot saved

Guendouzi plays a beautiful, lifted pass over Yoshida for Aubameyang which plays the striker into the penalty area with incredible accuracy. McCarthy closes the angle down well – giving Arsenal nothing more than a corner. 

20' GOAL! Southampton 1-0 Arsenal (Ings)

INGS GIVES SOUTHAMPTON THE 1-0 ADVANTAGE! Armstrong plays it to the left for Targett who wins some space in front of Bellerin and whips in a superb cross, which drops between two Arsenal centre-backs, allowing Ings to attack it with his head - which he does with enthusiasm! 

28' GOAL! Southampton 1-1 Arsenal (Mkhitaryan)

ARSENAL MAKE IT 1-1! Its curse of the commentator as the Gunners bring it level though Mkhitaryan with a left-wing cross of their own! Iwobi speeds down the left before pushing it forward for Monreal who continues the run. The wing-back gets to the byline before pulling back a cross to the centre of the penalty area for Mkhitaryan, who headers home the equaliser!

44' GOAL! Southampton 2-1 Arsenal (Ings)

THAT’S TWO FOR INGS AS SAINTS RETAKE THE LEAD! A second goal, a second simple header for the Southampton number nine as Redmond chips a cross into the centre of the penalty area from the edge of the box, on the right-hand corner. The forward steps in-between Lichtsteiner and Koscielny yet again, and wins the ball – looping his headed effort over Leno and into the goal!

53' GOAL! Southampton 2-2 Arsenal (Mkhitaryan)

ARSENAL SOMEHOW FIND A SECOND GOAL! 2-2! Romeu is caught in possession after holding it for too long on the edge of his penalty area, and Lacazette nips in to win the ball before opening up space for Mkhitaryan, whose weak shot from a central position takes a lucky deflection off the foot of Vestergaard and rolls its way past McCarthy into the net! 

75' OFFSIDE! Long's goal disallowed

SOUTHAMPTON SCORE A THIRD BUT IT’S FLAGGED FOR OFFSIDE! Targett puts an out-swinging corner into the area for Yoshida to attack, which he does with a furious header. Leno makes a tremendous stop, but can only push the rebound in front of him, allowing several Southampton players to attack it with wildly swinging legs. Long gets the decisive touch to poke it in, but he is deemed to be offside!

85' GOAL! Southampton 3-2 Arsenal (Austin)

AUSTIN MAKES IT 3-2! Arsenal’s 22-match unbeaten run is in danger as the substitute makes his presence felt! Hojbjerg wins the ball in midfield and releases Long who chips a far-post cross to the head of Austin to nod in, evading the flailing hand of Leno in the process! It’s the third headed goal today for the home side, who need to hang on for five more minutes!  

Line-ups

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Yoshida, Valery, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Targett, Romeu, Hojbjerg, Armstrong, Redmond, Ings.

Subs: Gunn, Hoedt, Long, Davis, Austin, Ward-Prowse, Johnson

Arsenal XI: Leno, Bellerin, Koscielny, Lichtsteiner, Monreal, Xhaka, Iwobi, Guendouzi, Torreira, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang

Subs: Elneny, Cech, Ramsey, Lacazette, Ozil, Maitland-Niles, Nketiah