Arsenal 1-0 Southampton - Sanchez saves Arsenal yet again

Alexis Sanchez has been out of this world for Arsenal this season

It was a pulsating encounter at the Emirates as Arsenal eventually managed to see off a dogged Southampton. Alex Johnson reports.

Although there were no goals to talk about in the first half it was a very lively encounter. A wonderful through ball from Santi Cazorla found Danny Welbeck in behind the Southampton back four in the seventh minute, but the forward, who was running slightly away from goal, curled his effort into the side netting.

Graziano Pelle should have opened the scoring for Southampton in the 14th minute. Steve Davis' cushioned header found Pelle, who had played the initial pass, free in space inside the Arsenal box. However, he lashed his first-time half volley over the bar.

Some good fortune in the 26th minute saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain find the space to get a shot off. He got plenty of purchase on it but Fraser Forster was down well to his right to keep the scores level.

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Maya Yoshida, who came on in the place of the injured Jack Cork, could not clear his lines in the 36th minute. His clearance came of the back of his leg and fell to Welbeck, who attempted to back-heel it into the net from an acute angle, but he could not get it past the hulking frame of Forster.

The best chance of the first half again fell the way of Welbeck in the 45th minute. He rose well to meet Cazorla's out-swinging free-kick, but his header, from all of eight yards, was marvellously stopped by Forster, who saw it late but managed to get a strong palm to it.

It took until the 69th minute for anything more of note to happen. An Alexis Sanchez ball over the top found Olivier Giroud on the angle of the box. He connected well with his first time volley but it was straight down the throat of Forster.

Just a minute later Giroud was at it again, this time he was the provider. The Frenchman's deft back-heel undid the Saints defence and found Welbeck in space, but the forward's snapshot was too close to Forster, who dived to his left and got a big hand on it.

Toby Alderweireld, who was superb this evening, had to come off in the 84th minute after hurting his hamstring. Unfortunately for Southampton they had just used their last substitution two minutes before. The loss of Alderweireld seemed to be the catalyst towards their eventual defeat.

Forster was once again called upon in the 87th minute where he again had to deny Giroud. The striker, who made the difference for Arsenal after coming on, could only grimace as he saw the keeper get across to his right and somehow keep his looping header out.

But then, in the 88th minute, Arsenal's attacking onslaught finally broke the Southampton rearguard. Aaron Ramsey picked up the ball by the byline after Giroud's shot had deflected off Yoshida, he looked up and passed it along the floor to Sanchez and he coolly slotted home from the edge of the six-yard box.

Southampton gave it a really good go this evening, but in the end the attacking might of Arsenal prevailed. Had Pelle been more composed in front of goal in the first half then they would have definitely left London with a point.