Claude Puel could be forgiven for wondering what he has to do to get things right at St Mary’s.
The slightly haunted look on his face as he wearily shook hands with Arsene Wenger at the full time whistle last night certainly suggested as much.
Unlike against Hull his team were not widely booed off, they were not overly negative, but yet again they couldn’t score. It’s three blanks on the trot at St Mary’s, and five in eight in total.
There is a real risk that they could end up as the Premier League’s lowest home scorers this season if they don’t get going in their final two attempts against Manchester United and Stoke.
When Saints played Hull the balance was all wrong. There were attacking players on the pitch, but the team performance was so negative.
Against Arsenal the balance was better, the team were more positive, but still it wasn’t enough.
It was one of those times when it felt as if Saints were paying the price for not making hay while the sun shined. For example, if they played like they did against the Gunners they surely would have beaten Hull comfortably, but against a quality side like Arsenal you are always up against it no matter how good you are.
And when you speak of a more positive display, you do have to put it into context.
The first half was better than the second, there were hardly a hatful of chances created and, though it wasn’t banks of men sat behind the ball, there was not the commitment from Puel of pressing football. Caution was still a part of the plan.
Again, maybe a fair policy against Arsenal, you could argue, but it feels like the way to face these sides has got muddled up somewhere along the line.
It has done nothing to address a feeling of the season bumbling to a finish that is being anticipated rather than a sense that it will be sad to wave goodbye to this campaign.
The flat atmosphere all around St Mary’s last night was a pretty big clue.
Saints started the game as they surely intended to go on throughout by coming out of the traps with purpose.
Though their first half battle with the Gunners only resulted in two genuine pieces of work for Petr Cech to deal with, they kept the pressure on for decent periods of time.
Cech had to cut out a low centre from Manolo Gabbiadini while there was a scramble to clear in the six yard box after a bit of pinball following James Ward-Prowse’s whipped cross from the right.
Saints had a clear opening on 31 minutes as a ball over the top found Dusan Tadic, who was in a surprising amount of space in the Arsenal box after springing the offside trap.
He brought the ball down on his chest but it seemed to take an age to drop and for the Serbian to get himself in a position to shoot, and by the time he did Shkodran Mustafi was on hand to make a sliding challenge to deny him.
However, the ball broke to Gabbiadini whose low shot was saved by the legs of Cech.
The Arsenal keeper produced an even more impressive save three minutes before the break, turning over the bar as Nathan Redmond’s stinging drive from 25 yards moved in the air to arrow towards the top corner.
For all their swift breaks, their precision possession and threatening looking moves going forward, Arsenal were well contained, often guilty of wanting to take one extra pass in the final third as Saints delighted in crowding them out.
Their only effort of any note saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cut back to Aaron Ramsey, but he put wide from 12 yards out.
The second half was a markedly different affair as Saints’ efforts started to wilt a little as Arsenal stepped it up.
Ramsey sounded a warning shot with an effort inside the box that looked to be heading goalwards until a deflection off of teammate Danny Welbeck directed it wide.
There was no reprieve for Saints on the hour mark, however, as Mesut Ozil quickly fed the ball into the feet of Alexis Sanchez, and the striker did the rest.
His drag back in the box did for both Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens, and bought him the space for a low shot, which brushed the leg of Fraser Forster but continued into the net.
Granit Xhaka forced Forster into a low save down to his right before Saints created an opening of their own with Ward-Prowse heading over under considerable pressure at the far post.
You could at least say that Puel, oft criticised for his substitutions, was positive in bringing on Shane Long and Sofiane Boufal and, crucially, changing the formation to try something a bit different.
It didn’t work – Boufal tried twice but blasted wide the first time and hit the side netting second time round – but at least it was an attempt at change.
The game was over seven minutes from time though as Arsenal doubled their lead.
Sadly from a Saints perspective it was all too easy for Arsenal as Sanchez lofted a ball to the far post.
Ramsey was free to head back across goal and Olivier Giroud had nobody near him from close range, and the headed finish inevitably hit the back of the net to leave Puel hoping for better in the final days of the season.
A DESPAIRING Maya Yoshida has demanded more from Saints after admitting Claude Puel’s side were too easily defeated by Arsenal at St Mary’s last night.
The Japan international was pleased with the first-half performance in the 2-0 loss, but bemoaned Saints’ loss of “organisation” as Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud sealed a Gunners win after the break.
“We played well in the first half,” Yoshida said, “but second half, especially after we conceded the first goal, we totally lost our organisation.
“There was a huge space in the midfield. We gave space like this to Ozil and Sanchez and they punished us easily.
“We are not Arsenal, Liverpool, City or Chelsea and because of that we have to play as a team every time.
“If we lose our organisation – it’s so easy for us to lose like this.
“Because we played well in the first half, it’s difficult to accept this defeat.
“But there are still three games to go and we haven’t won in five games so it’s very important to end that against Middlesbrough, especially because they’re relegated already.”
Saints are now on one of their worst runs of the season and Yoshida has urged Puel’s side to turn their fortunes around with three games left.
In the final run-in, they face relegated Middlesbrough on Saturday before welcoming Manchester United and then Stoke to St Mary’s.
He said: “It’s important to finish the season strongly now because there’s still a chance to get 8th place or in the top half of the table.
“We should try to get there and I still think we have a good opportunity to do that.”
The 28-year-old centre-back has targeted a big response away at 19th-placed ’Boro on Saturday after the disappointing Gunners display.
“It’s totally different to the Liverpool game and I understand that,” he said, referring to last night’s display, “we concede so easily and lost it so easily because we all know the way we played is not us.
“We have to recover quickly and show a good performance against Middlesbrough.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to play a team who have been relegated and now they’re free of pressure.”
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Claude Puel insists his team still have plenty to play for in the remaining three games of the season.
With Saints stuck in midtable, out of the race for European football and also unconcerned by the relegation battle going on below them, there does not seem to be a lot riding on it.
Saints travel to relegated Middlesbrough for their last away game of the campaign on Saturday, before back-to-back home matches against Manchester United and Stoke in the final week of the season.
From the outside, there is the impression that few things are left to be settled at St Mary’s.
But closer to the action there is the sense that there is still much to play for, not least Puel’s future.
There has been speculation that Puel could be sacked at the end of his first season in charge of the club, and he could do with a big finale to strengthen his position.
The manager though is just focussed on his side and trying to turn some performances into much needed goals, and wins, in the final days of the campaign after last night’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at St Mary’s, courtesy of second half goals from Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud.
He said: “We can see the attitude of the players and it’s a fantastic attitude.
“The last game against Liverpool was a defensive game and a fantastic spirit and it was a good draw.
“Tonight also just three days after it was very interesting with good work and quality against a good team.
“It’s a good answer and to see my players giving the good motivation about all the games will be important to find the good spirit and attitude against Middlesbrough.
“It is not Arsenal but it will be a difficult game and we saw this with Sunderland.
“They can have a good game after relegation and perhaps it’s the same feeling about Middlesbrough and it will be important to have the good attitude and find a good win.
“It’s very important for us and to finish this season with a good result.”
Middlesbrough are one of only two teams to have scored less home Premier League goals than Saints this season.
While Saints have netted 17 in 17 matches on their own patch, Boro have bagged just 16 in 18 before the visit of Saints to the Riverside Stadium this weekend.
Arsene Wenger felt Arsenal were full value for their 2-0 win at Southampton that kept their Premier League top-four hopes alive.
Goals from Alexis Sanche z - his 20th in the Premier League this season - and substitute Olivier Giroud handed the Gunners three points that saw them leapfrog Manchester United into fifth place.
Wenger was pleased his side backed up their performance in beating United on Sunday to move to within three points of fourth-placed Manchester City.
“Overall it was a very convincing win,” he told Sky Sports.
“It was a very even game in the first half but in the second half I felt we took over and created many opportunities to score.”
On Sanchez’s well-taken goal, Wenger added: "That’s Alexis, he’s a player that never gives up and is tricky to stop.
"He’s very good in a small space and once he has the ball in the box he’s dangerous.
“Alexis is always a slow starter in games but he gets stronger and stronger.”
Giroud settled the contest with a late header and Wenger admitted the form of his frontmen has left him with a selection headache.
“It’s difficult at the moment for me to choose between (Danny) Welbeck and Giroud,” said Wenger.
"Both of them are playing well and both have a great team spirit.
“I’m always harsh with the one that doesn’t play.”
Southampton 0-2 Arsenal: Watch highlights as Gunners move up to fifth
Watch highlights as Alexis Sanchez scored his 20th Premier League goal of the season as Arsenal saw off Southampton to keep their Premier League top-four hopes alive.
The Gunners secured a vital 2-0 win in this game in hand to leapfrog Manchester United into fifth and now sit three points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City.
Sanchez struck the opener on the hour mark at St Mary’s before Olivier Giroud came off the bench to make sure of the points with a close-range header.
Under-fire Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has constantly reiterated his side cannot put a foot wrong in their remaining games, and they were solid enough to take home victory from the south coast to keep them in the hunt for Champions League qualification.
Saints had their moments but looked short of ideas in attack, where out-of-sorts forward Manolo Gabbiadini again drew a blank.
Hit play on the video at the top of the page to watch highlights from the match.
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