Team jitters overcome by our captain in waiting

With 2 defeats and a draw from our last 3 premiership games (and just 2 wins from our last 8 in all competitions) it was imperative that we beat Southampton last Saturday. The nervousness with which most of our team played in the opening 30 minutes highlighted just how important a win was to get our championship challenge back on track. However given our recent performances in front of goal – we’ve managed just 3 in the last 7 games – any notion of a genuine championship challenge is somewhat of a pipe dream.

By Southampton’s standards this was a rampant side and certainly the best we’ve seen at Highbury for decades and Hoddle deserves full credit for that. And yet I think it was a minor miracle that they weren’t 5-0 down in the first half as Arsenal seemed to create a genuine goal scoring chance every 2 or 3 minutes. OK, defensively Wenger has some serious problems on his hands and if he doesn’t start giving Upson a run-out soon, or buy a big name centre back, our season will well and truly be over. But at the other end of the pitch there was a lot of good to take from this game as every Arsenal outfield player had a clear goal scoring opportunity.

There are one or two areas of Pires’ game that needs work, but his ability to hurtle past players at will is mesmeric at times. Ljungberg likewise, has areas to work on, but is getting better all the time and could have scored one or two himself. Unfortunately Bergkamp’s ability to hit the woodwork or side netting at will was only overshadowed by Wiltord’s ability to sky any opportunity from anywhere on the field. After 85 minutes, more or less camped in Southampton’s half, the stage was set for someone to take the game by the “scruff of the neck”; and the best and most consistent player on the pitch finally made his mark. Patrick Viera managed to get Arsenal's first goal in six hours of Premiership football.

Surprisingly he did it with his head, and even more unlikely, from a pinpoint cross by a less than impressive Oleg Luzhny. It was hardly contender for goal of the season and it was certainly one of our most difficult opportunities - but they all count. But what was interesting was the great calm with which he celebrated as if he was really keeping his eye on the clock to ensure that the points would stay secure. Despite his recent FA disciplinary hearing, this is Arsenal’s next club captain in waiting.

It is Wenger’s view that Manchester United’s current runaway form is being piggybacked by the entire Premierships’ belief (Arsenal excluded of course) that they can’t be beaten. I think he is right, for example, our spineless North London rivals hardly put up a fight against them on Saturday. However even if the odd team does take points from Man Utd we still need to get our own house in order. And Arsene Wenger can start by introducing some more shooting practice at London Colney.

Arsenal: Manninger, Luzhny, Keown, Adams, Silvinho (Dixon 45), Vieira, Ljungberg, Grimandi, Pires (Kanu 65), Wiltord (Henry 60), Bergkamp
Southampton: Jones, El Khalej, Dodd, Lundekvam, Oakley, Draper (Gibbens 87), Tessem, Kachloul, Bridge, Davies, Beattie (Rosler 77).