Arsenal were back in Premier League action on Sunday as they faced off against Southampton at Saint Mary's, a place that has traditionally been a tough trip for the side. It proved to be very similar as Granit Xhaka's early strike was cancelled out by Stuart Armstrong in the second half.
It means the Gunners only managed to take one point from the clash, meaning they remain top, with champions Manchester City closing the gap to just two points. Discussing the draw, manager Mikel Arteta told the media: "I think we stopped doing all the simple things right.
"The distances on the ball positions were too far, we gave too many simple balls away in very dangerous areas without much pressure, and that didn't allow us much continuity like we had in the first half. Then you are more tired because the game becomes more open and there are more transitions, and you are fatigued. I think again we finished the game on top of them, and we tried to go for the second goal, but we didn't find a way to do it."
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While the Spaniard will want some time to dissect the game to learn from it, there will be little time to do so as the relentless football schedule continues. Next up is a trip to the Netherlands to face off against PSV Eindhoven as a place in the next stage of the Europa League is on the line.
As for the Premier League, they face Nottingham Forest, however, there are two players going into it that will be walking a suspension tightrope. That is the pairing of Gabriel Jesus and William Saliba, who are both sitting on four yellow cards accrued this season, with one more giving them a potential ban from the following fixture.
Should either of them pick up another card against the East Midlands outfit, they will be unavailable for the game away at Chelsea. Suspension for them could be huge for the Gunners, given the importance of the fixture both in the sense of it being a London Derby but also due to their title credentials being tested.
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