Published: 3 February, 2016
by TOM FOOT at the Emirates Stadium

Premier League
ARSENAL 0, SOUTHAMPTON 0

ARSENE Wenger insisted now is not the time to be “over-pessimistic” after watching a “maximum frustrating” 0-0 against Southampton at the Emirates.

The Arsenal boss blamed “very bad finishing” for the stalemate in which the Gunners notched 22 shots on goal without a breakthrough.

He said: “We cannot be happy with the way we finished our chances – our finishing is very bad at the moment.

“We started slowly and were nervous. It is maximum frustrating because we had the chances to win.”

After three league games without a goal and just two points, Arsenal have slipped to fourth, behind Spurs.

Fans are asking if the fight has gone out of Arsenal’s title challenge despite a rousing second-half display. Rivals Leicester, Spurs, City and United all posted convincing wins.

Five points off top-placed Leicester, Wenger said: “Leicester, now I am sure the media will take them seriously, they will be under pressure. But we have had a stuttering start in 2016 – we have to catch up, and we have a difficult programme away from home.”

Arsenal travel to Bournemouth, Man United, Spurs, Barcelona and Everton in the next six weeks.

Faced with questions about whether Arsenal should have invested in another striker during the transfer window, Wenger said: “If you know a world-class striker [to buy] you should have told me – they do not walk in the street and say ‘take me’. They are all at big clubs. Better to think how can we score goals with the players we have.”

Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster was exceptional throughout the match but there were ripples of boos at half-time after what had felt like a dead-rubber rather than a key fixture in a title-chasing run-in.

Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez started pulling strings in the second half but Southampton held firm thanks to Forster.

Theo Walcott replaced an ineffective Joel Campbell on the hour and almost immediately forced a miraculous double save. Laurent Koscielny headed over from two yards while Olivier Giroud huffed and puffed with no end product. The press conference was dominated by questions about Forster and his England potential.

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman praised his “magic” keeper after the match, but he admitted his side had got lucky and tipped Arsenal to be fighting it out with City for the title in May.

ARSENAL: Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Gabriel, Nacho Monreal, Hector Bellerin, Aaron Ramsey, Mathieu Flamini (Coquelin, 84), Joel Campbell (Walcott, 62), Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud.
Subs not used: Kieran Gibbs, Per Mertesacker, David Ospina, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Calum Chambers.
Attendance: 60,044