After another uninspiring defeat, this time against Arsenal, it is becoming increasingly clear that the honeymoon period is over for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton.
Although there is no shame in losing at the Emirates against a team scrapping for the top four, it will be the manner of the defeat which will feel particularly frustrating for the Southampton faithful. The spotlight is now on Hasenhuttl after a string of disappointing results and the tactics deployed today will have done little to improve the unsettled mood of the fanbase.
Choosing to play the error prone Jack Stephens over Maya Yoshida proved a costly decision, whilst there were question marks over the inclusion of Matt Targett in the place of Ryan Bertrand.
Understandably injuries to Danny Ings and Mario Lemina have had their impact on the selection but what is evident that the decision not to recruit in January was incredibly naive and badly thought through. The consequences could be damning.
Goals from Lacazette and Mkhitaryan were enough as Arsenal barely got out of second gear against the Saints. The three Saints players who had the biggest impact ( a blend of positive and negative) were as follows.