EPL: Southampton 1-1 Arsenal
Giroud Rescues Late Point For Sloppy Gunners
Olivier Giroud came off the bench to score a late equaliser as Arsenal battled to a 1-1 draw at Southampton
Charlie Austin's fourth goal in four games gave the hosts an early lead (3) after Per Mertesacker's loose pass gifted Southampton possession.
Petr Cech prevented Austin from scoring a quick-fire second, before Fraser Forster kept Arsenal at bay down the other end with a superb stop from Aaron Ramsey.
Southampton capitalised on Mertesacker's misplaced pass when Austin lifted the ball beyond Cech after just remaining onside from Dusan Tadic's pass.
Austin could have had a second two minutes later, but his low strike across goal was kept out by Cech.
An end-to-end affair then saw Alexandre Lacazette force Forster to make a decent save before the Southampton 'keeper superbly kept out Ramsey's effort.
Team news
Southampton brought Maya Yoshida, Jack Stephens, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Nathan Redmond into the side, while Arsenal's only change was Per Mertesacker in for the injured Shkodran Mustafi.
Just before the break, Hector Bellerin picked out Lacazette in the middle, but the Frenchman could only fire over before being wiped out by Maya Yoshida - though the incident went unpunished by referee Bobby Madley. And while Arsenal dominated play in the second half, it was Oriol Romeu whose long-distance strike clipped the bar for Southampton before Ryan Bertrand agonisingly chipped a ball beyond Cech but wide of the mark.
Arsene Wenger then called on Giroud - who is yet to start a Premier League game this season - to save Arsenal, and the Frenchman duly answered the call when glancing a header into the far corner, in what was his 17th league goal as an Arsenal substitute.
Petr Cech prevented Austin from scoring a quick-fire second, before Fraser Forster kept Arsenal at bay down the other end with a superb stop from Aaron Ramsey.
Southampton capitalised on Mertesacker's misplaced pass when Austin lifted the ball beyond Cech after just remaining onside from Dusan Tadic's pass.
Austin could have had a second two minutes later, but his low strike across goal was kept out by Cech.
An end-to-end affair then saw Alexandre Lacazette force Forster to make a decent save before the Southampton 'keeper superbly kept out Ramsey's effort.
Team news
Southampton brought Maya Yoshida, Jack Stephens, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Nathan Redmond into the side, while Arsenal's only change was Per Mertesacker in for the injured Shkodran Mustafi.
Just before the break, Hector Bellerin picked out Lacazette in the middle, but the Frenchman could only fire over before being wiped out by Maya Yoshida - though the incident went unpunished by referee Bobby Madley. And while Arsenal dominated play in the second half, it was Oriol Romeu whose long-distance strike clipped the bar for Southampton before Ryan Bertrand agonisingly chipped a ball beyond Cech but wide of the mark.
Arsene Wenger then called on Giroud - who is yet to start a Premier League game this season - to save Arsenal, and the Frenchman duly answered the call when glancing a header into the far corner, in what was his 17th league goal as an Arsenal substitute.