Arsenal blow another shot at EPL top four

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/04/2022 (1588 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — Arsenal’s faltering quest for Champions League qualification suffered another setback after it lost at Southampton 1-0 in the English Premier League on Saturday.

Tottenham’s shock home defeat to Brighton on Saturday offered the Gunners the chance to move level on points with their fourth-placed north London rival.

But Mikel Arteta’s men blew a major opportunity to capitalise at St Mary’s as Jan Bednarek’s strike on the stroke of halftime condemned them to a fourth defeat in five games.

Arsenal retain a game in hand on Spurs, albeit a tricky trip to Chelsea, while its latest slip-up provides further encouragement for fellow top-four hopefuls Manchester United and West Ham.

The Gunners dominated possession for much of an uninspiring match, but in the absence of the ill Alexandre Lacazette they often lacked a cutting edge and rarely troubled Ralph Hasenhuttl’s resolute hosts.

On the occasions they did, they were frustrated by in-form Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who produced stunning saves to keep out joint leading scorers Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe either side of Bednarek’s decisive finish.

Victory for Saints ended a five-match winless league run to boost their aspirations of a top-half finish.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

The Warm-Up

Winnipeg Jets Game Days

On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.

Sign up for The Warm-Up

Sign Up

I consent to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies.

I consent to CASL agreement.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports