Arsenal 3-3 Southampton: Mikel Arteta’s side draw at the Emirates after Saints run riot with goals

Mikel Arteta’s mission to the stars appears to have developed what Elon Musk’s SpaceX might call a rapid unscheduled disassembly.

Arsenal were a goal down in 25 seconds against rock-bottom Southampton, two down inside 14 minutes when Theo Walcott returned to haunt them, and firmly in the grip of some kind of nervous meltdown.

Gabriel Martinelli pulled a goal back before Duje Caleta-Car damaged their hopes with a third for Saints, with a header from a corner, before late goals by Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka hauled Arsenal level.

Leandro Trossard clipped the bar in stoppage time and James Ward-Prowse produced a fabulous late block to prevent a winner from Reiss Nelson as the visitors hung on for a point in a thrilling finish.

Yet for all the excitement of the late recovery, this will only go down as two more points dropped by Arteta’s side at a critical stage of the campaign.

Southampton took the lead after 25 seconds with keeper Aaron Ramsdale passing the ball straight to Carlos Alcaraz

The Saints doubled their advantage inside 15 minutes as former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott converted coolly

The Gunners were back in it with Bukayo Saka crossing from the right for Gabriel Martinelli to fire home and halve the deficit

Arsenal have now taken only three points from their last three games and go to Manchester City for the long-anticipated title decider on Wednesday with a five-point cushion, aware Pep Guardiola’s side have a better goal difference and two games in hand.

They have lost on each of the last seven visits to the Etihad Stadium, have not scored there since 2019, have not won there since 2015.

Surrendering points at Liverpool and West Ham is one thing. Losing two more at home to Southampton is quite another.

It is a terrible shame after all the wonderful things Arteta and his players have achieved this season but it is difficult to see them recovering from this when locked in a title duel with a team such as City, with all that quality and experience of what it takes at the end of the season.

Southampton caught Arsenal stone cold, stealing into the lead within 25 seconds of kick off. Carlos Alcaraz read Aaron Ramsdale’s intention, searching for a pass to pick out Oleksandr Zinchenko in his pseudo central midfield position, made the interception and beat the Arsenal goalkeeper from just outside the penalty area.

It was the Argentine’s third goal since his arrival in January from Racing Club. The Emirates Stadium was stunned into silence. Arteta turned to his assistants on the bench with a wry look. At least they had broken the cycle of easing into a two-goal lead only draw 2-2, as on their previous two outings, at Liverpool and West Ham.

Here they had ground to make up from the outset. Saints boss Ruben Selles promised his team were coming to the Premier League leaders to press high and cause problems.

It seemed an optimistic battle cry, because after recovering from 3-1 down to take a point against Tottenham, last month, they appeared to have lost their fighting spirit with no points against West Ham, Manchester City and Crystal Palace.

Then they stretched into a two-goal lead. Again, they pounced to dispossess Arsenal as they passed without their usual zest through the midfield. Mohammed Elyounoussi stepped in to cut out a pass by Odegaard, usually so alert, decisive and precise with his distribution and Southampton punished them, unzipping the home team’s defence with purpose and intent.

It would be Southampton who would get the next goal as a corner was flicked onto Duje Caleta-Car, who headed it home

Arsenal gave themselves a chance at taking something as Martin Odegaard bent home a fine finish in the dying stages

Moments later and they were level, Saka turning home after Gavin Bazunu had made a smart save to deny sub Reiss Nelson

Elyounoussi found Alcaraz and he slid an angled pass into space behind Gabriel to release Walcott, who produced a clinical finish, first time across Ramsdale and inside the far post, the sort of goal he would score regularly at this venue in his prime. This time, without the raucous acclaim of the home crowd.

As Walcott did his best to conceal his glee out of respect for his former team, Zinchenko called his teammates into a huddle inside the centre circle for a brief therapy session. Nervous tension ebbed around the stadium.

This really was not part of the plan in these parts where Arteta’s team were meant to dispose of the team on the bottom of the Premier League and turn their attentions to the duel with Manchester City on Wednesday.

Zinchencko was back after injury, but William Saliba was still absent at the back and there was no Granit Xhaka, who reported ill on morning of the game. Fabio Vieira came into midfield and Arsenal lost some of their bite as a result.

Still, they did not lack pace or movement going forward. Nor did they lack creativity or adventure and had recovered a goal before the contest was 20 minutes old.

Saka collected the ball from Odegaard on the right, jinked and dashed to the by-line and cut back his cross towards Martinelli who applied a composed volley to sweep the chance past ‘keeper Gavin Bazunu. What a breathless opening sequence.

This time Saints huddled as if to consolidate. The visitors seized every opportunity to break up the game and stop Arsenal finding a rhythm and there was a lengthy stoppage to treat Jan Bednarek, sent crashing head over heels to the turf by a naughty foul by Martinelli.

Bednarek did not want to come off but the medics were clearly concerned about concussion after his heavy fall. He was replaced by Caleta-Car and referee Simon Hooper played seven minutes of added time at the end of the first half.

Southampton went close to a third in the first half. Ramsdale made a double save, first to keep out Elyounoussi’s header at the back post and then Alcaraz, an excellent reflex save to paw away a volley hooked at goal from a tight angle.

Arsenal went into the interval on top, however, with the visitors hurling bodies into front of shots and scrambling around the goal line. Alcaraz was brilliantly alive to clear a glancing header by Ben White off the line at a corner. Gabriel headed over and ‘keeper Bazunu made a risky dash from his goal to foil Gabriel Jesus.

Selles sprang a half-time tactical surprise by taking off Alcaraz and reinforcing his defence with a change of shape from back-four to back-five, with three in midfield and leaving Walcott and Adam Armstrong up front.

The change served to invite Arsenal on. Saints dug in on the edge of their penalty area. And the second 45 minutes unfolded much more as you might expect. Waves of red-and-white attacks repelled in an increasingly desperate fashion.

Partey hit a post but the ball was already out before Martinelli crossed and then Southampton found a third, from a corner, brilliantly delivered as ever by James Ward-Prowse corner, flicked on by Bella-Kotchap and nodded in by Caleta-Car as Zinchenko was caught ball-watching at the back post.

Arsenal summoned late pressure and a frantic finish. Saints held out until the 88th minute when Odegaard curled in a sweet goal, Saka equalised almost immediately, tapping from after a save by Bazunu.

Then came eight more minutes of nail-biting stoppage time without a winner and a point each does nothing much for either team but plenty for Manchester City and Southampton’s relegation rivals.