PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG ended his five-match goal drought to help 10-man Arsenal avoid a record fifth consecutive home league loss in a 1-1 draw with high-flying Southampton.
Captain Aubameyang started the process of atoning for his own goal in Sunday’s miserable 1-0 home loss to Burnley, sweeping in a neat finish as Arsenal scrambled a Premier League point at the Emirates Stadium.
Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott had put the again-impressive Southampton into an early lead with a high-quality effort.
The Gunners had Gabriel sent off for two bookings in four minutes – the first a pointless act of petulance in kicking away the ball.
After Granit Xhaka’s ill-disciplined dismissal in Sunday’s Burnley loss, another red card was the last of boss Mikel Arteta’s demands.
A draw will hardly ease the pressure on manager Arteta however, with Arsenal’s winless league run now stretching to six matches.
Arteta had told his critics “my chest is here, hit me” in accepting Arsenal must “take the bullets” in the wake of their awful form.
And those biting volleys will keep on coming now, with Arsenal still winless in the league since their 1-0 victory at Manchester United on 1 November.
Southampton manged to keep themselves in the league’s top four however, with any frustrations over a draw just another sign of the burgeoning confidence under boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Arsenal pressed with purpose and energy from the off, but were never able to generate any real rhythm on the ball.
Home heads dropped heavily then when former Gunners favourite Walcott raced through and chipped home a delicate finish to put Saints into the deserved lead.
Che Adams battled for the ball on halfway and slid in for a fine through-ball, that positively begged for Walcott to convert.
The ex-Arsenal forward licked his lips, raced onto the ball and dinked over the helpless Leno.
Then, for good measure, Walcott wheeled away and broke with player tradition – to celebrate against his old club.
Walcott’s upbeat response was doubtless more to do with his sheer joy and relief to be on a run of fitness and form than any lingering frustrations at his Arsenal exit, back in 2018.
The Gunners appeared wholly flummoxed by slipping behind, to compound their worrying recent run of form.
Nicolas Pepe saw a rasping shot well blocked by Jan Bednarek, before Dani Ceballos had a spurious penalty claim dismissed by the officials.
Bednarek deflected Saka’s low cross goalwards as Arsenal found a foothold, but Alex McCarthy conjured a fine reaction stop.
Arsenal’s plight appeared bleak when trailing 1-0 at the break, but the home side came out refreshed and refocused – and quickly levelled.
Saka cut in off the left and fed Eddie Nketiah and it was his fine reverse pass that opened the Saints defence.
As the ball angled into the box, Aubameyang latched on, picked his spot and delivered.
After his own goal against Burnley, here was the perfect response.
Just when Arsenal thought they could plot a course for victory however, Gabriel felled Walcott for a second yellow card, to walk for his troubles.
Just four minutes after kicking the ball away in a pointless act of petulance, here was another Arsenal red card that was both utterly avoidable and entirely unwanted.
Arsenal brought on David Luiz for Nketiah and promptly sat back in a bid to protect their point.
Arsenal could have snatched victory at the death, but Rob Holding’s thumping header clattered the woodwork and bounced safe.
Elsewhere this evening, Everton sent a warning to their top-four rivals after an impressive 2-0 win at Leicester.
Richarlison’s first Premier League goal for three months and Mason Holgate’s maiden top-flight strike earned the disciplined Toffees victory.
It was the Foxes’ fourth defeat in seven league games at the King Power Stadium as their home woes threaten to undermine their own legitimate top-four chances.
They dominated possession but could not break down a stubborn Toffees side who rose to fifth, a point and a place behind Leicester.
The Foxes had a late penalty overturned after referee Lee Mason initially awarded a spot-kick to sum up another disappointing home outing.
The Toffees always looked the more composed and they took the lead after 21 minutes.
Richarlison collected Alex Iwobi’s pass on the left and James Justin allowed him to drift inside too easily.
The forward’s 20-yard shot then caught out the unsighted Kasper Schmeichel who could only help it into the bottom corner.
A minute later Jamie Vardy – making a club record 223rd appearance in the Premier League – headed straight at Robin Olsen from six yards.
Olsen, in for Jordan Pickford, had little to do – aside from collecting a low Cengiz Under effort – as the Toffees grew into the game, aided by Leicester’s sloppiness.
The Toffees remained controlled, despite losing Allan to a hamstring injury five minutes before the break, while Leicester’s task was to forge a dramatic improvement in the second half, or see their patchy home form continue.
But – despite James Maddison and Justin’s bustling efforts – no early leveller came.
The visitors’ attacking ambitions were limited though with 14-goal Calvert-Lewin offering nothing more than an outlet as the Toffees sat back and managed the game.
Tielemans dragged wide and Maddison curled over after 65 minutes as Leicester continued to probe but there was still little tempo to the hosts – or a suggestion they would find a leveller.
Everton were content to bide their time and a second came with 18 minutes left.
They had barely been in Leicester’s box but won a cheap corner and Schmeichel brilliantly denied Michael Keane’s glancing header from Gylfi Sigurdsson’s delivery.
The ball fell for Calvert-Lewin but Schmeichel’s superb stop turned his strike onto the bar only for Holgate to gobble up the rebound from close range.
Sigurdsson shot over before Leicester thought they had grabbed a lifeline with seven minutes left.
Ayoze Perez went down under Andre Gomes’ tackle and referee Mason initially awarded a penalty, only to reverse his decision after checking the monitor.
Perez also had a goal ruled out for offside as Everton closed the gap at the top.
