Laurent Koscielny put in a lament performance against the Saints.
The Gunners traveled to Southampton to take on Ralph Hassenhuttl’s side on Sunday. Their 22-game unbeaten record came to a close when Danny Ings’ scored a double and Charlie Austin gave them the lead at the end to bag all three points despite Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s leveled things in the 50th minute.
It was a game of two halves. When Arsenal attacked, Southampton scored in the counter, and the vice versa. However, the Gunners’ shocking defensive performance came to the limelight when Danny Ings was finding it so easy to find space between the two centre-halves to head the ball into the back of the net from close range.
Just when Henrikh Mkhitaryan looked to have pulled things back, the Arsenal shot-stopper Bernd Leno committed a howler which resulted in a tap-in from another English striker Charlie Austin five minutes before the full-time whistle. The game ended 3-2, with yet another shaky defensive display from the visitors.
Hector Bellerin was forced off in the first half. Unai Emery said that he would need to look at the Spaniard to confirm his absence, “We are going to wait. Bellerin has a small [calf] injury, I think he will have some weeks off. We will look at how Mustafi and Kolasinac improve.”
Arsenal’s defense was lackluster throughout the game and in particular, Skipper Laurent Koscielny struggled to put a foot right against the opposition attack. He was heavily criticized by his own fanbase after the game.
Larry Koscielny has been a fantastic lad for us, but expecting a 33 year old to come back and play elite level football after years of Achilles problems and a complete rupture was really stupid.
— S (@wood10_) December 16, 2018
This is not about the injury tbh. Koscielny is just bad and has always been bad. Overhyped by Arsenal fans surprise surprise
— IJHTCT (@AliquamScripto) December 16, 2018
Please find the nearest bin & put Koscielny in it. Finished at the highest spectrum.
— dc (@davidjcarri) December 16, 2018
This game came far too early for Koscielny, unfortunately for us.
— Le Grove (@LeGrove) December 16, 2018
Koscielny might not be match fit, BUT he was poor before he got injured. He’s past it, sentimentality aside he’s got to be replaced. And Mustafi.
— Rik Crank (@J4YK3Y) December 16, 2018
i don’t why Koscielny started this game. He is letting us down. #SOUARS
— Zemichael M (@ZemichaelM) December 16, 2018
Arsenal have always been shaky at the back, having already leaked 23 goals in the League currently. Unai Emery will be focussing to strengthen on the defence and will try to bolster his backline in the January transfer window to finish in the top four for the first time in three years.
The likes of Sokratis Papastathoupoulos, Shkodran Mustafi, and Laurent Koscielnly have not been great at the back. With the injury to Rob Holding which will keep him out for rest of the season, Arsenal might have to dig deep in the market to buy a center-back.
Following their defeat to the Saints, Arsenal will play their arch-nemesis Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates on Wednesday in the League Cup.
