Wednesday 3 February 2016 18:59, UK
February 2 was Groundhog Day and the same old problems resurfaced for Arsenal against Southampton. Nick Wright was at the Emirates Stadium for Sky Sports as the Gunners' Premier League blip threatened to turn into a collapse…
The cruel jokes had started circulating on social media long before the chorus of boos that greeted the final whistle. It was Groundhog Day and Arsenal had marked the occasion by dropping to fourth place - the position in which they have finished in six of the last 10 seasons.
It's a grimly familiar feeling for the Gunners. How quickly things have changed. Four weeks ago they were two points clear at the top of the table and seemingly on course for their first Premier League title since 2003/04, but a desperately frustrating night against Southampton extended a damaging winless streak to four games.
The heroics of Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster should not be overlooked, but Arsenal have only themselves to blame. They are now as close to fifth place as they are to first, and it appears the same old problems are holding them back…
Wasteful finishing
Forster deserves immense credit for the 10 saves that kept the hosts at bay, but what of Arsenal's finishing? Dominating possession and failing to take advantage has become a familiar refrain in recent years, and since the 3-3 draw at Anfield on January 13, they have gone three Premier League games without finding the net.
And while they mustered just four shots on target in their games against Stoke and Chelsea, creativity was certainly not the issue here. "Not one team in my one-and-a-half years of managing Southampton have created what Arsenal created today," said Southampton manager Ronald Koeman.
Eighteen of the Gunners' 21 shots came in an utterly dominant second half, but they should have been ahead before then. Forster's point-blank save from Ozil shortly before the break was rightly lauded, but the German's furious reaction told its own story. It would have been easier to score.
Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez had 12 shots between them without finding a way through, while Laurent Koscielny sent a free header over from six yards, and Ozil was at fault again when he delayed his shot and allowed Virgil van Dijk to make a vital last-ditch tackle in the closing stages.
"The performance we wanted to produce was there but we cannot be happy with the way we finished our chances," said Arsene Wenger in his post-match press conference. "That's what I think is the most disappointing, that some players missed chances they usually take. Our finishing is very bad at the moment. In the last three games we had chances we didn't take. At this level that's important."
Character lacking?
Joe Allen's last-gasp equaliser for Liverpool at Anfield last month presented Arsenal with a major mental test of their title credentials. Could they show the character of champions by putting that psychological blow behind them? Two points and no goals from three games suggests not.
Petr Cech has brought calmness and authority to the defence and there have been encouraging victories over the likes of Manchester United and City, but complacency still haunts Wenger's team, and recent performances indicate they still can't cope when the pressure's on.
The manager admitted his side were "nervous" in the first half against Southampton, and their conviction appeared to drain away with every missed chance. And while Forster was outstanding for the visitors, Arsenal's lack of ruthlessness was an even greater factor in the result. They require a dramatic turnaround in the weeks ahead if they are to avoid another second-half-of-the-season capitulation.
The cost of injuries
Arsenal's annual injury crisis has eased in recent weeks, and they were boosted by the return of Sanchez against Southampton after his two-month spell in the treatment room. The Chilean is not the only player on his way back to full fitness, but the injuries are still taking their toll.
Central midfield has been particularly problematic. Arsenal allowed more shots on target (24) than any other Premier league side in the absence of first-choice anchorman Francis Coquelin in January, and the Frenchman was only fit enough for the bench against the Saints.
In his and Santi Cazorla's absence, Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini have been unable to develop an effective partnership, and while they only faced three shots on target against Southampton, Oriol Romeu and Vincent Wanyama certainly came out on top in the midfield battle.
Wenger will be hoping January signing Mohamed Elneny can provide additional support after his encouraging debut in the FA Cup against Burnley, but the Egyptian's absence from the squad against Southampton suggests he won't feature prominently just yet, and Arsenal badly miss the control and intelligence of Cazorla.
The little Spaniard became a vital component of Wenger's side after moving to central midfield last year, and this season he still ranks first at the club for passes per game in the Premier League (82.1) and second for chances created (2.6). The sooner the Coquelin-Cazorla axis is available again, the better.
Rivals make them pay
Arsenal's miserable evening was compounded by results elsewhere, as Leicester, Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United claimed victories. Wenger admitted it was far from ideal, but the Frenchman urged his side to concentrate on their own results.
"Leicester won again and now I'm sure that everyone will take them very seriously, especially in the media, so they will be under pressure as well," he said. "But we can't look too much at Leicester or Man City, we have to win football games and focus on responding quickly.
"That's all you can do. It's a dream to think you can catch the others if you don't win your games and in the last three games we only took two points." At the moment, Arsenal's title challenge appears to be turning into a nightmare. Against Bournemouth on Super Sunday, only a win will do.
Watch Bournemouth v Arsenal live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 12.30pm on Sunday
