Arsenal 3-2 Southampton: Player Ratings

ALEX MCCARTHY. 8. McCarthy made a number of vital saves against Arsenal and helped to give Southampton a chance of getting something from the game. Long range efforts from both Granit Xhaka and Alex Iwobi were both kept out well, but he was sadly given little chance to stop any of Arsenal’s goals by the defending in front of him. The form of the 28-year-old has been a bright spark in an otherwise grim season for Saints fans.. Goalkeeper. Southampton

7. Cedric was back to somewhere near his best for this game, and this happened to coincide with him playing in a wing-back role with increased licence to attack. He produced assists for both Saints’ goals; a low cross to the front post for Shane Long’s first then a quick one-two and weaving run for Charlie Austin’s seventh goal of the season. Let’s hope this improvement is carries on and is matched by the Portuguese’s teammates.. Right Wing-Back. Southampton. CEDRIC SOARES

Centre-Back. Southampton. JACK STEPHENS. 5. Stephens has shown some great traits when playing for Saints since his introduction to the team last season, but it is his faults that ultimately get highlighted and go against him now Southampton are in a relegation battle. He is capable of bringing the ball out of defence with confidence, but lapses in concentration mean he is susceptible to mistakes. Here he let Danny Welbeck come inside for Arsenal’s second goal far too easily and lost the vital aerial battle with the England striker for their third. He also received a red card for lashing out at Jack Wilshere late on, which was understandable but stupid if it means he misses three upcoming matches.

Centre-Back. Southampton. MAYA YOSHIDA. 6. Yoshida came back into the side for this one and played in the centre of the three Southampton centre backs. He is certainly someone who cares about the club having been at St Mary’s since promotion back to the Premier League in 2012, and someone Mark Hughes can rely on to give 100% in each match. He was perhaps rusty in this game and replays showed his fairly poor attempt to stop Welbeck’s first goal, but he will be even more important for the team with Stephens now suspended.

Southampton. WESLEY HOEDT. 5. Hoedt can become much more reliable for Saints in time, but the trouble is they don’t have much time for development and need instant results now. Seems to rush his decisions too much, which is strange with two other centre backs and two defensive midfielders around to help out. He did produce one terrific long range shot that forced Cech into a save, and had a header cleared off the line in the second half. Forging a tight partnership with Maya Yoshida will be vital ahead of upcoming games as they are the only two centre backs that Saints can call on at the moment.. Centre-Back

A steady performance from Bertrand, who got forward well at times. He possesses an ability to deliver dangerous crosses across goal and that can be an asset for the team with players like Charlie Austin in the penalty area. The England international doesn’t often show a lot of emotion on the pitch but it would be nice to see him being a more vocal presence, especially with him being the team captain at the moment.. Left Wing-Back. Southampton. RYAN BERTRAND. 6