Charlie Austin sinks Arsenal as Southampton win five-goal thriller

Charlie Austin came off the bench to head Southampton to a vital three points in their relegation battle with an entertaining 3-2 success against Arsenal.

Two first-half headers from Danny Ings twice put the Saints in front, only for Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s brace to drag the Gunners back into it.

This was the first home game in charge for Ralph Hasenhüttl and, bidding to win hearts and minds, he ensured that all Southampton season ticket holders were given a drinks voucher.

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AS IT HAPPENED: Southampton v Arsenal

And the home fans were celebrating in style at the end, after Austin headed home Shane Long’s cross six minutes from time, following a mistake from Arsenal’s keeper Bernd Leno, who flapped and missed, allowing the Saints’ striker to head into an empty net.

It meant the Saints move out of the bottom three on goal difference, putting Burnley in the drop zone.

Ings had nodded the Saints into a 2-1 lead at the break, as Arsenal’s first-half struggles surfaced again.

The first real chance came after six minutes, when Matteo Guendouzi’s long ball picked out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang running in behind on the angle. The in-form Arsenal striker took one touch to control the ball and another to shoot, only for Saints’ keeper Alex McCarthy to block.

Southampton held firm and Arsenal began to allow the hosts a little more time on the ball.

Right-winger Nathan Redmond switched play for Stuart Armstrong, who cut inside and curled an effort which forced Leno to drop to his side to make the catch.

It was a warning, but it went unheeded. It gave the Saints confidence to push forward and gamble a little more in the final third.

And they got their reward on 20 minutes when Armstrong played the ball down the left for Matt Targett, who had some space in front of Hector Bellerin and whipped in a delicious cross. Ings got between the two Arsenal centre halves and, from six yard out, sent a powerful header past Leno.

From nothing, and against the run of play, Mkhitaryan grabbed his third goal of the season with neat header eight minutes later. Alex Iwobi did well down the left and Nacho Monreal got on the end of the pass, looked up, and pulled the ball back for Mkhitaryan to head into the corner of the net from 10 yards out.

Arsenal should have made it 2-1 just moments later, when Aubameyang had a shooting opportunity inside the six-yard box, only for Jan Bednarek to slide in and expertly whip the ball off his toes.

Both sides contributed to an exciting, free-flowing first-half and Hasenhüttl must have been pleased with the Saints’ work-rate. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Redmond and Armstrong all produced the required quality as Saints attempted to end their run of 13 games without a win.

Just before the interval, Armstrong had a left-foot shot from the edge of the box but failed to make meaningful contact, sending a slow, rolling pass towards Leno.

And yet again, Arsenal looked rattled and conceded soon after.

The Gunners have not held a half-time lead all season and they found themselves behind again a minute before the break. Redmond floated a long ball to the far post and Ings got between Koscielny and Lichtsteiner again, and with a clever cushioned header, sent the ball looping over Leno, who must have thought it was either going wide or over the bar.

Unai Emery was always going to make changes at half-time as Arsenal looked off the pace. With Bellerin limping off with what appeared to be a groin injury, Alexandre Lacazette was introduced, and the Gunners went to a flat back four.

Aubameyang had another good chance just moments into the second half, when he was put through but McCarthy prevented the striker from nutmegging him with another good stop.

But Arsenal were back on level terms with seven minutes gone in the second half. Guendouzi and Lacazette produced some good work to retrieve the ball in midfield and Mkhitaryan picked up the pieces. The Armenian hit a decent, low shot from 25 yards and McCarthy went down to make what would have been a comfortable save, only for the ball to clip off the heel of Jannik Vestergaard and wrong-foot the keeper.

Iwobi almost turned the game on its head soon after, only to blaze over, while Redmond just failed to get on the end of another superb cross from Targett at the other end.

Shane Long, whose last goal in 31 games came against Arsenal, thought he’d given the hosts the lead again when he had the ball in the net with 15 minutes remaining, only for the offside flag to rule out his effort, after Leno had initially made a superb stop.

At the other end, McCarthy was forced into an exceptional save to deny Lacazette’s flick soon after and on a swift break, Aubameyang only just failed to direct Guendouzi’s deflected cross into the net.

With Lichtsteiner limping off, Arsenal were down to just two fit defenders for the last 15 minutes and it ultimately cost them dear, with the Saints nicking the points against the run of play when Austin struck.

The result leaves Arsenal three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who won 2-1 at Brighton, and the pressing need for Emery is to now find enough fit defenders to get them through a very busy Christmas period.