Southampton 3-2 Arsenal: Gunners’ long unbeaten run comes to end as Saints win on Ralph Hasenhuttl’s first home game

Southampton 3-2 Arsenal: Gunners’ long unbeaten run comes to end as Saints win on Ralph Hasenhuttl’s first home game
Ralph Hasenhuttl won his first home game in charge of Southampton thanks to Charlie Austin’s 85th-minute header earning them a 3-2 win over an in-form Arsenal at St Mary’s.Substitute Austin took advantage of a mistake from Gunners goalkeeper Bernd Leno to also put an end to Arsenal’s 22-game unbeaten run.6

Austin scored the winning goal

Arsenal, whose 22-game unbeaten run came to an end on the south coast, twice equalised through Henrik Mkhitaryan following a pair of headers from Danny Ings.The victory was Southampton’s first in the Premier League on home soil since late April and prompted scenes of jubilation in the stands followed by a lap of honour on the pitch.Hasenhuttl sent free beer vouchers to Saints’ success-starved season ticket holders during the week in an attempt to have “everyone in our boat to row with us”.His gesture, combined with an energetic, hard-working display seemed to do the trick.6

Hasenhuttl could barely contain his excitement at the final whistle

The 51-year-old, who replaced the sacked Mark Hughes on December 5, was greeted by a standing ovation ahead of kick-off.And the noise levels increased significantly as Ings twice nodded in during an entertaining first half.Armenia international Mkhitaryan gave the hosts a couple of reality checks with a brace of his own, but it was to be Saints’ day after Austin pounced.Arsenal manager Unai Emery was suffering a defensive headache so handed captain Laurent Koscielny his first league start since he suffered an Achilles problem in early May. With Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Shkodran Mustafi banned, Emery also opted to deploy midfielder Granit Xhaka as a makeshift central defender on the left of a back three.Playmaker Mesut Ozil, meanwhile, was left out of the Gunners’ starting line-up for the fifth successive top-flight game, with Alexandre Lacazette joining him on the bench.Southampton had won only one of 19 home league games dating back to November 2017, scoring just 16 times during that spell.Hasenhuttl has insisted clean sheets are his initial priority, but his team were rewarded for their bright start and attacking intent with 20 minutes played.6

Ings scored two goals on his return from injury

Matt Targett swung in a superb left-wing cross and Ings – back from a hamstring problem – nodded powerfully past Germany international Leno.The opening goal prompted a passionate celebration from Hasenhuttl, although he quickly cut it short after realising he had encroached into Emery’s technical area.His joy was short-lived though as Mkhitaryan headed Nacho Monreal’s cross into the bottom right corner eight minutes later at the end of a well-worked moved involving Alex Iwobi.Jan Bednarek then produced a last-ditch interception to deny Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a tap-in.6

It was not Aubameyang’s day in front of goal

Southampton’s enthusiastic, pressing style was warmly received by their fans and they edged back ahead a minute before the break.This time it was all about Ings as he directed a superb looping header into the right side of Leno’s goal after Yan Valery lifted the ball into the area.Emery reacted to the setback by introducing Lacazette in place of the injured Hector Bellerin at half-time and switching to a back four.The changes had an immediate impact. Lacazette caught Oriol Romeu dawdling in possession just outside the Soutampton box, allowing Mkhitaryan to fire home from the edge of the box via a heavy deflection off Jannik Vestergaard which deceived Alex McCarthy.Getty6

Mkhitaryan scored both of Arsenal’s goals

Arsenal had not lost since August 18 but, after surviving a scare when Shane Long had a goal disallowed with 15 minutes remaining, their defence was once again breached.Long burst away down the right-hand side and, after Leno came for his cross and failed to collect, Austin had the simple task of heading into the unguarded net to spark joyous scenes and move the club out of the relegation zone.6

Have Saints turned a corner?

---

Leeds troll Reading after 'Spygate' tweet - talksport.com

---

Real Madrid CONFIRM remarkable return of Zinedine Zidane as manager until 2022 (10 months after he quit Bernabeu) as Santiago Solari is axed. Real Madrid have confirmed the remarkable return of
Zinedine Zidane in frame to land Chelsea job as Sarri and

---

Arsenal news: Unai Emery sent warning by Gunners chief, January plan considered ARSENAL boss Unai Emery has been warned he must get the Gunners back into the Champions League.
Arsenal chief admits Gunners will scour January market for

---

Manchester United could win the Champions League under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, according to former Liverpool player Dietmar Hamann. United have won nine of the 10 games Solskjaer has taken charge of
Dietmar Hamann - talkSPORT

---

Neymar handed three-game ban for Rennes fan assault sent off in the final against Rennes. Neymar has been linked with a move away from the Parc des Princes this summer after reportedly
Neymar punches fan: PSG star handed three-match ban after

---

Heartache for Ajax and its players are in tears on the pitch. Spurs' players too, are in tears, but they are tears of joy. After going 2-0 down in the first half, Lucas Moura's hat-trick - the third goal of which came in the sixth minute of added time - has sent Tottenham through to its first ever Champions League final.
Champions League: 5 Areas That Will Decide Spurs Vs. Ajax

---

Mauricio Pochettino isn't revealing whether Harry Kane will start for Tottenham Hotspur against Liverpool, but he's called it the "most painful decision.". Kane has declared himself fit to play in
Tottenham Striker Harry Kane Says He Is 'Fit to Play

---

Eden Hazard could be set to play his final few games for Chelsea in the coming weeks amid talk of a big-money move to Real Madrid. Los Blancos have continuously been linked with the Belgian international over the past 18 months and they have been tipped to finally sign him with a summer overhaul at the Santiago Bernabeu set to take place.
NewsNow: Eden Hazard news | Breaking News & Search 24/7

---

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has received a three match ban after he hit a Rennes fan in the aftermath of their defeat in the French cup final. Rennes won the game on penalties. The Brazilian had scored PSG's second goal of the game at the Stade de France with little over 20 minutes played on
Neymar handed three-game ban for Rennes fan assault - AS.com

---

Liverpool moved back above Manchester City in the Premier League table as they thrashed Huddersfield Town. London, April 27: Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah both scored twice after Naby Keita's rapid opener as Liverpool thumped Huddersfield Town 5-0 to move back to the top of the Premier League table.

---

And Harry Kane ensured he made the most of his time off as he headed to Atlanta in a private jet to watch the Super Bowl LIII. the Tottenham striker even managed to get up close with the Vince
Harry Kane, Usain Bolt and Conor McGregor among stars at

---

Man United transfer news: Romelu Lukaku could leave for Inter Milan in swap deal The Italian club are arranging a massive summer and plan to introduce Antonio Conte as new boss, with the ex-Chelsea manager having named Lukaku as a key signing Manchester United would favor long term defensive target Milan Skriniar, if any sort […]
Manchester United News: The Red Devils have identified

---

Transfer news and football gossip: Gareth Bale faces uncertain future, Manchester United target Wan-Bissaka, Arsenal ace to get new contract Written by: fpnews Posted on: April 1, 2019 talkSPORT.com rounds up all the latest gossip from Monday's newspapers and online after another eventful weekend of Premier League action…
Gareth Bale faces uncertain future, Manchester United target
sportsalert.org/2019/04/01/gareth-bale-faces-uncertain-future-manchester-united-target-wan-bissaka-arsenal-ace-to-get-new-contract/
Gareth Bale's future at Real Madrid will be decided at the end of the season, manager Zinedine Zidane has revealed. The 29-year-old Welsh star has been linked with Manchester United and Tottenham - FULL STORY . Manchester United could make a £35million bid for Crystal Palace full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the summer. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United transfer news: Gareth Bale would be 'huge

---