Before the game there wasn't a Saints fan in the stadium that would not have been happy with a point from this game, yet walking out of the ground it felt like a crushing defeat, but the truth is it was a big step forward.

This was down to be the game that saw Saints collapse and be cast adrift at the bottom, we had Arsenal a team who just a fortnight ago looked odds on certainties for the title taking on rock bottom Southampton , there could be only one result.

The Arsenal fans knew that and so did Saints fans, but within a minute of the kick off suddenly you sensed something different might happen as Charly Alcatraz sent Saints into an early lead.

That was never going to last was it, but then on 14 minutes Theo Walcott slotted home to give the visitors a two goal lead, could we dare to dream.

The answer was no when the arrears were reduced on 20 minutes, Arsenal fans sat back to wait for the inevitable onslaught, only it never happened, the home side had much of the ball, but Saints worked hard and made sure that actual chances on target were few and far between, despite good possession and plenty of efforts on goal.

Half time arrived and the whole ground knew that the next 45 minutes would all go the Arsenal's plan, only no one told Caleta-Car who coming on just before the break for Jan Bednarek, popped up at the far post on 66 minutes to head Saints ahead.

Suddenly the Saints supporters were starting to believe, the Arsenal fans were also starting to believe as well, that their side might actually lose this game.

Ruben Selles brought on fresh legs, although the final substitution seemed strange, surely Romeo Lavia, one of our best players could have done another 4 minutes.

It was also strange why he had taken off our best player in the first half Charly Alacatraz and brought on a defender.

As the game headed for the 88th Minute Saints looked like they might just hold out, but sadly it was not to be, two goals in the space of two minutes meant that Saints had to hold on for 8 minutes of injury time.

At the final minute if the situation had been reversed and we had come back to score two and draw in the final minutes this would have been like a cup final win, but it wasn't the mood was subdued leaving the stadium, yes a point would have been seen as brilliant before the match, but after it seemed like two dropped and more to the point yet another chance to pull up the table lost.

This is becoming deja vu, 2022/2023 is starting to play out like it did 18 years ago in 2004/05, the similarities are mounting, back then we had three managers in the season, we also gave away too many leads and we also blew the lead at Highbury that season as well in the final minute.

But despite the feeling of disappointment, this game showed that we have the stomach for the fight, we are outsiders to stay up, but we showed that we could take on the best side in the Premier League going into this game, on their own turf and put them to the sword.

This bodes well for the final run in, we can take on Bournemouth knowing that we can give them a fight, this team is not as bad as some would make out, but it does lack leadership and that is perhaps what cost us in the final minutes, we were battling like dervishes, but truth is there was no one standing cool and collected in the back four and directing operations, if there had of been then perhaps we might have held out.

So this might have felt like a defeat and we can all give our own opinions of why we threw away a two goal lead so late on, but there were more plus points than minus.

Firstly we scored 3 goals for only the second time this season in the Premier League, but this was the second time in five games, so we have the firepower.

Secondly we took a point that nobody and i mean nobody expected.

Thirdly the players stepped up to the mark, this was a team performance where everyone put in a shift.

Fourthly we had fight, we had spirit and we never gave up, yes it was devastating that we gave those two goals away, but if we had given in at that point then it night well have been worse in those 8 minutes of injury time.

Fifthly the fans stayed with the team, yes it was easier than most games this season given we literally lead for the full 90 minutes of normal time, but we stayed with them and if that is the case in the run in then who knows.

So we go into the crucial game with Bournemouth with confidence that we didn't expect to have, perhaps the spirit that the team appears to have will carry us through, it is time to forget about what has gone on before, just concentrate on the things that we can change and that is the final 6 games of the season.

Photo: Action Images

saintmark1976 added 23:56 - Apr 23 Good to exchange views with you ItchenNorth and on this occasion I suppose that we will simply have to agree to disagree. Let’s just both hope that he manages to keep some so far very rare clean sheets for what remains of the season,thus giving us a chance, albeit only an outside chance, of avoiding the drop.
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ItchenNorth added 07:45 - Apr 24 COYR
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SanMarco added 10:17 - Apr 24 I think with the manager, as often with Ralph, if we hold on he is a genius and if we don't he is an idiot. I think it was daft to change like that at half-time because our goal threat was keeping us in the game, but then again it only needed to work for ten more minutes. Too early to take Alcaraz off - it was worth the risk for another 20 mins. Yes, Lavia was knackered but he should have stayed on as we had no adequate replacement. Also Big Paul was the wrong man to bring on. The keeper is young and inexperienced, just like his manager. I am not sure McCarthy would be doing any better though. I believe that keeping Selles on instead of bringing in experience was SR's final error in a cataclysmic set of mistakes and will ultimately ensure we go down.. In an anorak moment I worked out that 10 points from 11 'Big Six' games would be 30 from 33 and possibly enough for safety. It is the insipid 1 goal defeats in games that should have been at least drawn against those around us that will send us down. Of course if we beat Bournemouth this becomes a great point if we don't it becomes a bad one. Thursday really is the crunch - even a draw will not be enough. Wet Spam put 4 past them...

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Peterx added 07:35 - Apr 25 Imagine if we had Romeu coming on instead of Diallo, selling him is the decision that will likely cost us this year.
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underweststand added 10:59 - Apr 25 To those of you ( above) ...who commented the 7 mins added before HT. Clearly the Bednarek stoppage took time, but I think the ref. was very patient with Bazunu (by NO yellow-carding him for time-wasting) already when we were 2-0 up , but who, like many keepers, was clearly "taking his time" those many goal kicks. Instead of a card, the ref. sensibly added on extra minutes for the " alleged time-wasting ".

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