“Ramsdale’s mistake cost us the title”- Fans express mixed emotions to Arsenal’s draw against 20th-placed Southampton surrendering PL to Manchester City
Despite Arsenal's impressive comeback, it will be a huge loss to them to drop two points against relegation-threatened Southampton.
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Premier League leaders Arsenal were held to a nail-biting 3-3 draw by Southampton in an exhilarating fixture on Friday. The Gunners were behind 3-1 till the 86th minute and it took a late flurry of goals from Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka to allow Mikel Arteta’s team to take one crucial point away from the game. However, Arsenal’s semi-capitulation under intense pressure from Manchester City will make their match next week a must-win for the North Londoners if they want to win the Premier League this season.
Arsenal fell behind with just 30 seconds on the clock as a miss pass by Aaron Ramsdale found Argentine Carlos Alcaraz who slotted it home from close range. Southampton showed great heart in the first quarter of the match. Ruben Selles’ men haunted the league leaders and their front-foot play was rewarded in the 14th minute. Alcaraz sent Theo Walcott through on goal and the former Arsenal man dinked it over a helpless Ramsdale to double the lead.
Southampton showed no signs of lacking confidence in the first half. Despite being pushed back multiple times, the Saints never put their foot off the gas as they broke with speed and conviction. One of the key fixtures of the half was the advanced position of James Ward-Prows. The Southampton captain often found himself in the Arsenal box.
However, the North Londoners were too well-drilled to be stopped. Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli soon found the back of the net to cut the lead down in fine fashion. Arsenal completely dominated the rest of the first half as the Saints held on.
In a strange move, Selles substituted Carlos Alcaraz during halftime. This disassembled any forward movement from the team as Walcott became a spectator up front. The former Arsenal man was electric in the first half.
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The Comeback of Dreams
Arsenal created chance after chance in the second half and came close to scoring multiple times. However, in the 66th minute, completely against the run of play, Southampton scored the third goal through Duje Caleta-Car. The first-half substitute’s goal deflated Arsenal’s title hopes earnestly. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard scored a thunderbolt in the 87th minute to make the score 3-2. However, it was Bukayo Saka who had the equaliser in the 91st minute as the ball ricocheted to him.
This meant that Arsenal would have to win their match next against Manchester City. The Pep Guardiola juggernaut will be a massive test for Mikel Arteta’s men. Despite being at the bottom of the table for five months, Southampton has earned themselves a sliver of hope with this draw.
Fans react to Arsenal’s draw
Arsenal fans were not happy to see their team draw another match as City closed the gap on top. One fan summarised, “Ramsdales mistake cost us the title.” Here are some of the most insane reactions to the game.
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Arpan Ghosh
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