Southampton 3-2  Arsenal - 4 prime points | Premier League 2018-19

New Southampton boss, Ralph Hasenhüttl, got his first victory as Southampton manager, and over Arsenal at the St. Mary Stadium.

Arsenal was in good form going into this game, as they were unbeaten in the last 22 games in all competitions. In recent times though, Arsenal had suffered some bad defeats there, notably in 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons, where they lost 2-0 and 4-0 respectively. It seems today was the latest in that trend, as a late Charlie Austin header won the points for the Saints.

Arsenal were favourites to win, and had to win, especially as fellow top-four challengers Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur both won at the weekend.

However, Southampton went ahead via a Danny Ings header mid-way through the first half. Arsenal equalised via a Mkhitaryan header, but Southampton went into the break 2-1 ahead, as Ings headed in again.

Mkhitaryan's two-goal effort was not enough for the Gunners

The second half was fairly even, with Arsenal equalising again through a deflected Mkhitaryan effort.

Southampton didn't lie down though, as they got the winner through Charlie Austin. He scored the winner late on, and despite some Arsenal half-chances, they were able to hold onto the win.

Austin has a record of always scoring against Arsenal, and it showed today - and how.

Southampton will take immense heart from their progress here. But then Arsenal will feel down after losing, especially after a long-time unbeaten. Will this mean a drop is coming? Or is it just a blip? Deeper issues are:

• Can Southampton stay up?
• What does Arsenal need to enhance their defence?
• Can Arsenal ride out their injury crisis?
• Is Arsenal still primed for the top four?

A defeat for Arsenal here is not the end of the world. But it is a blow, and they have another North London Derby upcoming vs. Tottenham Hotspur, but this time in the League Cup.

However, a prominent point is Arsenal's poor defending, which was apparent again in this defeat.

Emery may not be worrying too much about this loss - but then it's up to him get the team back to winning ways.

An opening home win for Hasenhüttl

Ralph Hasenhüttl, the new Southampton manager, struck back after a defeat to Cardiff City last week.

Arsenal, despite having a bad recent record at the ground, was never going to be slouches. And they, in many departments managed the Gunners, even though Arsenal did well to come back and equalise twice.

To get a win over a top-six side though is prideworthy, and they can take this to aid their relegation battle. The other sides in the relegation battle will take note, and with a new manager, this will inevitably provide a boost to the South Coast of England club.

Southampton is a club with a long Premier League history, and whilst never challenging for major honours due to their size and comparative lack of resources, they have had top players such as Matt Le Tissier.

They also have produced many top players from their academy, including Alan Shearer, Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Maybe this win is a path for them to get a more respectable league position, and hold their own as they have done for many years in the Premier League.

Arsenal's bad defending

Club captain and long-term defender Koscielny returned, but it wasn't the best of performances

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Arsenal's poor defending has been a concern for a while, and this was perhaps the club's undoing in the latter Wenger period.

The off-the-ball work has improved somewhat. But then the organisational facets here were weak.

This has cost Arsenal in numerous games this season - and it came to a head in this game.

Koscielny is a respected and long-standing defender at the club - but in this game he was poor.

Arsenal did have a makeshift defence, as both Sokratis and Mustafi were unavailable. Bernd Leno made an error in the third goal that Austin scored. But then despite some good recent performances, he made some errors here that were costly.

The goals conceded in recent Arsenal games often stem from organisational errors, and this is something that Emery must correct readily.

Does Arsenal need a Van Dijk-esque signing? Possibly. But then the club's defensive issues have been persisting for a while, and Emery with his meticulous tactical renown must correct this. If not, then a top-four push may not be attainable.

Hector Bellerin also went off injured, and given his recent form, it would be a blow if it's a long-term matter.

Arsenal's injury crisis

Arsenal's injury crisis is deepening, with Bellerin joining the list now. He took a knock, which saw Ainsley Maitland-Niles replacing him as a right-wing back.

Is this a deeper cause for concern? Emery hasn't rotated the squad as much as Wenger did, especially in the Europa League and League cup.

However, a number of injuries have been due to bad challenges, or bad luck. Those of Welbeck and Holding certainly were, whilst others have had some slight strains.

Hector Bellerin's injury is another defensive headache for Unai Emery

As Arsenal are facing Tottenham soon, then this will add difficulties for Emery, in addition to the usually busy Christmas period.

Sokratis's return may add more stability, but then Arsenal's defensive issues may be compounded if they have to use many different players at the back. A strong defence is as much as about familiarity as it is organisation, or player quality, and this could potentially worsen the position here.

All teams face injuries, but then it seems Arsenal's are arriving all at once, which is difficult to handle in any event.

Top four still possible for Arsenal?

Whilst leading the PL scoring charts, Aubameyang had a poor game vs. Southampton

I believe it is. Tottenham and Chelsea both won, and Manchester United lost to Liverpool. United are way behind in sixth place and will need a near miracle to get back in the top four mix.

However, there is still much football to play, and the club is only three points behind Chelsea, who currently occupy the fourth spot.

All teams will drop points, and the gap can be made up following the busy Christmas period.

United too may improve - but they need a slip up from Arsenal, Spurs, and Chelsea to get top four. And given their bad loss to Liverpool, they will have much to do to improve.

Emery has his work cut out in enhancing the Arsenal defence

Today may just be a blip, and there is the League Cup quarter-final against the "old enemy" and a home game with Burnley in the league. These are opportune to get back on track, and it would be good to see the state of Arsenal's resilience, amidst the club's new environment.

Arsenal may be down, but certainly, it's way too early to say that the end of the unbeaten run means they are out.