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Substitute Olivier Giroud glanced in a superb late header to salvage a point for an underwhelming Arsenal side at disciplined Southampton.
The Frenchman climbed above Virgil van Dijk to steer home Alexis Sanchez’s cross in the 88th minute to make Arsenal’s possession finally pay.
It had seemed the Gunners’ slow start was going to cost them on successive weekends when Charlie Austin clipped home the opener three minutes into the match with the away defence mere onlookers.
The Southampton striker also drilled a shot into Petr Cech’s gloves shortly after and then hit the post.
A sharp save from Aaron Ramsey apart, Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster had little to do as the visitors struggled to carve out clear-cut chances before their late leveller.
Indeed Southampton were left to rue several wasted chances on the counter attack, with Ryan Bertrand missing the best of those in the second half.
A draw moves Arsenal level on points but behind on goal difference to fourth-placed Liverpool, who play in Sunday afternoon’s Merseyside derby. Southampton break into the top half of the table, leapfrogging Huddersfield and Everton into 10th.
Arsenal’s dominance over Manchester United in their last league game came to nothing after a slow start full of individual errors gave them too much ground to make up.
Arsene Wenger made one change from that line-up, but Per Mertesacker’s inclusion did not remove that flaw at St Mary’s.
The German centre-back gave possession away cheaply and was made to pay as Dusan Tadic’s cute reverse ball picked out Austin, who clinically found the net.
It could easily have been worse for the Gunners in the opening 10 minutes too, as the visiting defence lacked any cohesion or organisation collectively.
Individually, Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal failed to track runners or show the commitment of the Saints attackers.
Just as against United, Arsenal spent plenty of time on the ball in the second half, with 70% possession after the break – but moments of real concern for the Southampton defence were rare before Giroud’s equaliser.
The Frenchman’s celebration, pointing to the name on the back of his shirt, might have been a reminder to his manager that he is available from the start. He has scored four league goals in 13 substitute appearances during this campaign yet is still to make his first start.
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