Arsenal suffered a further blow in their quest to win the Premier League with a disappointing 3-3 draw against bottom club Southampton on Friday night.
Mikel Arteta’s team has failed to win any of their last three matches in the league, dropping six points along the way.
Southampton took the lead in the first minutes of the game when Aaron Ramsdale’s pass from the back was intercepted by Carlos Alcaraz on the edge of the box, which allowed the Argentine time and space to find the open net.
Southampton extended their lead in the 14th minute when Alcaraz found former Arsenal player Theo Walcott with a through pass to put the away side two up inside fifteen minutes.
Arsenal recovered from the shock and responded with a goal when Bukayo Saka found Gabriel Martinelli with a cross in the 20th minute to reduce the deficit with his 15th goal of the season.
Southampton scored again in the second half, James Ward-Prowse’s corner was flicked on by Armel Bella-Kotchap for Calta-Car to nod home from close range to restore their goal lead in the 65th minute.
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However, two late goals from Captain Martin Ødegaard in the 88th minute with a curler from the edge of the box and Saka scoring from a rebound in the 90th minute ensured Arsenal rescued a point in the game.
The result means Arsenal have failed to win three matches in a row for the first time this season in the Premier League, which has opened the gap for Manchester City, who have two games in hand to win the league this season.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says he is unhappy with the result while rueing mistakes by his players.
“Obviously unhappy with the result, We made it very difficult again for ourselves but mistakes are part of football but the way we reacted I love my players more than ever.
“It is incredible, we were on the way back, we conceded again with a sloppy goal but in the end we should have won the game. We created enough chances and opportunities but it didn’t happen and we are disappointed.
“You can’t concede three goals in this league, if you concede three like we did in a sloppy way it is very difficult to win matches.
“This young team reacts in a way that is incredible, when it is against the odds but the chances they created and the spirit they had it was a joy to watch. The message is clear that I love them.
“We are down and they are more willing than anybody to win it. You can see that spirit and fight in the dressing room but it is clear we have to do defensively things better.”
Arsenal will look to get their season back on track with a visit to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday to face Manchester City in what may be the game that decides who wins the title in May.
