The Eternal Struggle Of Arsenal Football Club: Reviewing Arsenal vs. Southampton

In almost everything they do, Arsenal seem to make life difficult for themselves. Their transfer windows are an exercise in angst, they inevitably start the season slowly and, more often than not, at crucial times, their performances are fraught with fear and self-doubt. It was no different when Southampton visited The Emirates on Saturday, in what was a must-win match for the home side. Having taken a mere four points from their first three games, Arsenal were in need of a morale-boosting victory.

Instead, they conceded an own goal after 20 minutes, and spent the rest of the game desperately scrambling their way back.

Though they did eventually manage to beat Southampton, the performance was anything but reassuring. While Laurent Koscielny's overhead kick was a moment of magic, the rest of the game was mundane at best. They struggled for fluency throughout the midfield, and lacked momentum all through the side. In the end, it took a questionable last-minute penalty to secure the result. It was a textbook Arsenal showing, really, in that it was an exhausting trial from beginning to end.

Did Arsenal deserve their penalty? Arsene Wenger's not sure…#bbcfootball https://t.co/E8WjUs8rD8
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) September 10, 2016

The most obvious problem with their performance is that, if things go on this way, they will struggle to make the top four this season. Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are already well ahead of them in the table, while Liverpool's thumping triumph over Leicester shows that the competition is fiercer than ever. With Tottenham also recording an emphatic win at the weekend, there's little to suggest that Arsenal should be considered favourites for a Champions League spot, let alone something more than that.

What's more, the performance against Southampton was unwatchable at times. The home fans can hardly have enjoyed the experience, even if they were relieved not to see the side drop more points. In the past, the team has at least been able to hang its hat on being the most aesthetically pleasing in the league, but few would claim that to be the case this season. Arsenal may have avoided disaster on Saturday, but Arsene Wenger still has plenty to worry about.