In today’s Premier League clash between Southampton and Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Saints obviously fell to another disappointing 2-0 defeat and following the game manager Ralph Hasenhuttl was searching for the positives given the improvement we showed when two goals down and the fact we didn’t capitulate in the game.
With Arsenal’s lead established comfortably inside the opening 20 minutes of the first half, whilst Southampton couldn’t stage a comeback, the marked improvement in the second period did give some hope for the future and Fulham next midweek is now key to our hopes of avoiding relegation this season.
One thing that certainly doesn’t help our cause was that Republic of Ireland international striker Michael Obafemi again fell to injury in the match.
Having returned to fitness from his hamstring problem, he took his place on the bench and replaced Stuart Armstrong at the halftime break, but picking up another hamstring problem, he was replaced after 20 minutes and speaking to Sky Sports following the game, Hasenhuttl described it as a ‘disaster’ for the club and the player – especially in light of the other injuries we are carrying at the top of the pitch.
“It’s a disaster for us, Nathan Redmond is the only player who really scores for the moment and if he has Danny Ings or Michael Obafemi it’s not easy to defend against, but it’s concentrating on him and that’s why we made the changes at half-time. It’s difficult now.”