Updated at 17.50
ARSENAL on track with a 2-0 win as Southampton goalkeeper Artur Boruc entered into the spirit of pantomime season at the Emirates.
Following their dispiriting defeat to Manchester United before the international break, Arsene Wenger’s Premier League leaders started brightly against their high-flying opponents, with Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey both hitting the post.
They led midway through the first half when Olivier Giroud capitalised on an inexplicable error from Boruc, dispossessing the Poland international to complete a simple finish.
An impressive collective response was typical of a Southampton side who remain third in the table but Giroud completed his brace and made it 10 goals for the season from the penalty spot after Jose Fonte pulled back Per Mertesacker at an 85th-minute corner.
Southampton were dealt a blow ahead of kick-off, which was delayed by 15 minutes due to disruption on the Piccadilly line, with news that centre-back Dejan Lovren was ruled out due to illness. Jos Hooiveld came in for his first Premier League appearance of the season.
Theo Walcott returned to the Arsenal bench following two months out with an abdominal injury, while Mertesacker was back at the heart of defence following his midweek goalscoring heroics for Germany at Wembley.
Wilshere replaced the suspended Mathieu Flamini in midfield and almost opened the scoring after 10 minutes when his deft, lofted effort bounced back off the post into Boruc’s grateful arms. The same upright was tested via Ramsey’s audacious backheel from Mesut Ozil’s cross but Boruc’s post could not save him after a moment of madness in the 22nd minute.
Upon receiving a routine backpass from Nathaniel Clyne, he loitered terribly before an embarrassing attempt to turn Giroud resulted in the France international striker stroking the ball into an unguarded net.
Southampton forced Wojciech Szczesny into his first save of the match after 32 minutes when Mikel Arteta miscued a clearance and Adam Lallana’s speculative left-footer was pushed over. The Arsenal goalkeeper then reacted superbly to thwart Jay Rodriguez’s snap shot.Luke Shaw struggled through much of the first half with a leg problem and was replaced by Steven Davis, with James Ward-Prowse reverting to right-back and Clyne filling Southampton’s vacant left-back slot.
The reshuffle did not interrupt the visitors’ momentum as they resumed brightly and Lallana thudded a drive into Szczesny’s chest, meaning eyebrows were raised when the same player made way for Pablo Daniel Osvaldo in the 52nd minute.
Having laboured under Southampton’s trademark high press, Arsenal responded impressively and Ozil cleverly engineered space in the area to test Boruc at his near post.
Osvaldo called Szczesny into action at the end of a driving 74th minute run and his attacking colleague saw an effort deflected wide.
Walcott was afforded a rapturous reception on his introduction and might have given Arsenal breathing space when he fired wide on the break before Giroud ensured a four-point lead at the summit with his composed spot-kick.
YouTube credit: CuLLuM315
First published at 16.10
Disappointed as i was hoping Pool would draw em in the next round but it looks like the European refs can’t be bribed as easy as the Premiership ones.
@Football nut99: Can’t wait for Liverpool to be knocked out in the next round and ye die hard Red Devil and Pool “fans” can give us all our heads a bit of peace.
@Football nut99: lol
Really embarrassing performance from united, Mourinho didnt have the balls to let his team play attacking football, deserved to lose. Sanchez is woeful,should be dropped for Martial.
Fellaini is unfathomably poor in possession.
Lukaku, Bailly and rashford only ones who showed a bit of desire and put in a half decent performance.
United were beaten by the better team which is unbeliveable considering how average Sevilla are.
@Willy: What do United fans expect? The glory days are over. The new money is holding sway at the likes of City and Chelsea. Mourihno was brought in to make them hard to beat and ultra competitive on all fronts. That progress has been made surely? They’re second only to Oil City in the league and made the knock out stage of Europe. Mourihno was never an all out attacking manager. Why are the fans acting so surprised all of a sudden? Don’t get it.
@Noel Ryan: You’re forgetting one small detail: United are the richest club in the world.
And they’re shite.
Some ego! Not taking any responsibility for his “tactics” over two legs. Not fit to be Manchester United manager
@DL_8_5: This interview shows how much more important his ego is to him, than the club is. He literally brought up times in the past when he had beaten them and said it was no big deal for Manchester United to get beaten at home in Europe. At the time, I thought it was a really shocking thing to say and if a Liverpool manager said that, I would be livid.
@Coner Willis: yea but you’re happy if your manager blames the wind ..
@powerfix: Klopp blamed the wind did he? Must have missed that.
Anyway best of luck in the quarter final draw next weeken- oh sorry…
@Coner Willis: as a United fan, I totally agree Coner. Couldn’t believe it when I heard him come up with that $hite afterwards. Many fans would have been hoping ( rather than expecting) him to give some sort of reason for such a pathetic performance but instead he talks about himself. His arrogance is insufferable. It was the same arrogance that made him think he could drop Mata in favour of Fellaini and still beat Seville. His selection tonight was totally senseless. Rashford played a stormer on Saturday, virtually winning the game on hi s own, while playing on the left wing. What does Mourinho do? Puts hi m on the right wing tonight to accommodate Sanchez. Total lunacy.
@Coner Willis: think your the one who will need the luck
I honestly hope you’re gone Jose. And anyone reading this article, including any fellow Utd fan that backs this tosspot, now you know the truth. The ugly truth.
#JOSEOUT
@Gavin Mitchell: he was the special one on Saturday
@Gavin Mitchell: 100% . Even if by miracle Utd finish 2nd in the league he should be gone .he’s ruining the club with shite football and worse attitude .
They showed in the last few minutes there are players who can play with pace and score he just won’t pick them or let them . He’s destroying pogba . Sanchez looks rudderless . Just terrible
@Chris McNamara: I honestly don’t understand the hype around Pogba. He’s done nothing at United for nearly two years and before that he scored the odd cracker for Juve! I reckon Sanchez will go the same way as Nasri did with city, he’s there for the money.
@Chris McNamara: Sure everyone knew Mourihno’s style. This is nothing new. What’s with the sudden yearning for attacking football under Mourihno? It just doesn’t happen. Duff calls the man a genius coz he won him medals, but that doesn’t change the fact that he fundamentally changed Duff as a player, and not necessarily in a good way.
@Hardly Normal: nasri won 2 leagues with City
Gone within the next 18 months
@Aidan Holden: next manager at psg
@Gareth Kennan:
Not a snowballs chance in hell….parisiens despise his style and can see he doesn’t know how to work with players who like to play football
Haha, trolling his own club.
What an awful and negative performance. Was he trying to get them knocked out with those tactics?
What’s gas to think is, if he was willing to play Fellaini and long ball at home with a tie against Sevilla in the balance and leave Pogba and Martial in the bench, what would he have done against Barca or Bayern? Gas…
@Brian: If he played normal football, ie attempted to score, Utd would have won comfortably. However he seemed to think that he was managing a non-league side and was playing Real Madrid. Why in the name of God would you park two double-decker buses against a team that is considerably worse than you? It really is mind boggling. Having said that though, Sevilla played well, N’zonzi and the two centre backs were particularly good.
@Coner Willis: in some cases that park the bus shite can make sense, like against Liverpool. But yeah doing it against a crap Sevilla team who have been porous in defence in the Spanish league is just embarrassing.
The fact they had to go all out at the end was the most embarrassing part. There they are forced to attack because their plan to nick one from a set piece and absolutely not attack backfired.
One of the tamest and most embarrassing eliminations I’ve ever seen in that competition.
imo that was shocking from Man Utd . I actually used to like Mourinho but he’s become so smug and arrogant .. talking about watching united lose before to his teams ..that was pathetic definitely his fault they lost .. as I read earlier from a very smart comment by a user was set up like Leicester last year … he’s supposed to be the tactician .people saying sevilla were better team Bcuz united let them ,if he wanted to play like Leicester which he shouldn’t have with the talent at his disposal looks like players don’t have freedom or are not fully committed to him.. and the way he puts his players down .. especially martial who I think if it was fergie managing him he be the closest thing to Henry,he’s a confidence player and very young needs a mentor like wenger did to George weah
@Patrick Dara Kelly: That’s just not the way Mourinho operates. Listen to Duff talking about him. He says he breaks you down mentally and tests your resolve to come back. It works for some players and to be fair domestically United have proven very hard to beat, particularly compared to Van Gaal’s tenure. The English league is just that bit over hyped. Half decent teams from Spain and France have regularly beaten so called top EPL sides in the recent past.
@Patrick Dara Kelly: Christ any united Liverpool game all the trolls come out,,I’m Leeds fan notbiased , love a debate even heated one ,,used to love reading the comment section.. it’s only the soccer usually Man Utd and Liverpool..Ok rant over lol .morinho lost this game and he was suppose to be the tactician ,if he actually wanted to play so negative and get the win he should gone352 = 1 best in world de gea 3at back Lindel balily smalling ,at least he would have given young protection. rwb Valencia,dms 1matic dm2 maybe mctominay,,Herrera Darrick be handy,cam lingers if pogba not up for it . Rw mata because he would have Valencia bombing, lw martial alternating with st rashford give him the chance, then bring in lukaku do do damage ,Sanchez playing abysmal at moment wouldn’t start him
@Noel Ryan: I know what u mean mate ,,come on Sevilla are playing quite erratic at the moment and united supposed to have unreal defence ,why break u down though fair enough if they need to be like say prob Rooney but like fergie wenger ancelloti they treated every player differently in there own way .. U think fergie broke Ronaldo down or say any confidence playe no because they all well mostly respected him, I just know that martial could be absolutely class imo
@Noel Ryan: yes the EPL teams are deft over hyped ,, you know and I know that was a terrible result for united ,, people are calling for his head don’t agree with that typical keyboard warriors ,,his history except Porto is he doesn’t stay too long … don’t get me wrong unreal and prob will be one of best managers ever , this year he just isn’t himself imo might be wrong ,, think pep might be getting to him that inter Milan team he had was unreal ..
@Patrick Dara Kelly: he only stayed at porto for 2 and a half years.
‘Not the end of the world’ ? This man loves the European cup like no other
He’s been bad news for United since he came on the scene. He was brilliant when in opposition to United with Porto Chelsea and Madrid. Now he’s in charge of United and he’s ruining the club. Hes after running out of ideas at the top level of football. He shouldn’t get another penny- ideally he should be sacked.
He’s a charlatan.
@PaulCav: he’s a Liverpool fan…