It was an injury too far for Saints as their patched up side struggled to find it's shape and became architects of their own downfall, continually giving the ball away and gifting the Gunners the game.
This was not a bad performance from Saints given the circumstances, they battled hard and even took an early lead, but Arsenal had the bit between their teeth and knew the game was there for the taking.
A month or so ago Saints rise up the table was built on a solid back four, for the game last night only Jan Bednarek was in the side to face the Gunners and that was never going to be good.
For the first 25 minutes or so the visitors continually ripped our back four apart and we struggled to find shape, Stuart Armstrong gave us an early lead with a well worked move finished with aplomb, but that was soon pegged back and soon we were on the back foot, Arsenal were playing us at our own game and we were struggling to cope, it didn't help that we seemed determined to give them a helping hand, we continually gave the ball away when passing from the back and the Gunners had pace.
But for a while in the first half we found some shape and confidence and looked like we could get a result, Adams had a header well saved, but 5 minutes before half time we shot ourselves in the foot again, Saka was put through but pushed out a little wide, Alex McCarthy came flying out of his goal and misjudged it completely meaning Saka had an open goal to slot into.
For much of the early second half we looked like we could get into it, Valery & Vokins were getting forward and an equaliser looked achievable., indeed Ralph Hasenhuttl looked to be going for it with 25 minutes to go bringing on Redmond and taking off Vokins with Diallo dropping back on the left, but within a minute we were 3-1 down, ex Saint Cedric sweeping the ball from one side of the pitch to the others and catching up napping yet again.
We huffed and puffed in the final 20 minutes, but it seemed even Ralph had written this one off in the final 10 minutes taking off Ings & Walcott for N Lundulu & Watts.
This was an injury and a game too far for Saints, at the back they were a shambles with no shape and no leadership, Valery & Vokins did not have bad games, but in the first half they seemed to have to leadership talking them through the game and unsure where they should have been, Jan Bednarek led by example continually making last gasp interceptions, but it was the old story, it needed an old experienced head to talk a back four playing together for the first time though the game and organise.
Our game is built from passing from the back and last night we were not only failing defensively, but passing the ball forward, we failed on numerous occasions to be able to find our own midfield players let alone our forwards.
Theo Walcott was a breath of fresh air a month ago, now he seems to struggle for an end product, so many times he get himself into a good position but can't get the ball away whether in a crossing/passing situation or having a shot, he seems to have to tackle and beat himself just at the final moment his control has been appalling.
I am loathe to even mention this in case I start a witch hunt, but good players have bad patches and Theo is having one at the moment, he will play through it.
Hopefully that is temporary , but if it continues he will have Nathan Redmond breathing down his neck.
We have to dust ourselves down and get on with things, this was not our normal back four and hopefully in the next week that will be back, Ryan Bertrand will return on Saturday and hopefully KWP, with Jannik Vestergaard returning we can have a flourish in the final third of the season.
Last night will have given the manager food for thought, he will have seen the bad old ways returning, he will know that he had a patched up side out at the back and he can change that, but he will also know he needs options off the bench, in truth the youngsters are not quite ready, they are fine for cameo roles when they slot into our normal side, but you can't get away with the en masse especially when a couple of senior players are having off days.
The season has a long way to go yet, things are still looking good or at least will do when the injured are back in the side.
On a final note the commentating on BT Sport was appalling, Martin Keown sounded almost neutral compared to I think Ian Darke, both waxed lyrical about Arsenal's youngsters and how they were tearing us apart, not once did they mention the patched up back four we had out nor the subs bench packed with teenagers, all they did was eulogise about Arsenal as they were ripping Real Madrid a new one, not a injury ravaged Saints team.