Arsenal add steel to silk

Arsenal 2 Southampton 0

This was by no means a classic display; how could it be when victory was assured thanks to an appalling lapse in concentration from Southampton keeper Artur Boruc and a contentious late penalty.

It was, however, an assured, determined performance that reinforced the view that Wenger’s squad has acquired a strength and resolve that has been lacking during the club’s barren spell.

“That is the most pleasing thing today, certainly not our technical qualities that I know about,” said Wenger, who, despite the criticism directed at him in recent years, knows any team with title ambitions needs steel.

“This win shows we are ready for a fight when it doesn’t go as fluent as we wanted. That we can fight as well and on that front I’m very happy today. We could see a good togetherness to help each other out because we knew that we were sometimes in trouble and you felt that they were ready to fight for each other. That is the solidarity level that was needed. It’s very important.”

Epitomising Arsenal’s evolution this season has been Olivier Giroud, scorer of both goals on Saturday to take his season’s tally to seven league goals, 10 in all competitions. Twelve months ago Giroud was struggling to adapt following a move from Montpellier and he came into the season after a summer of headlines describing Wenger’s efforts to bring in first Gonzalo Higuain and then Luis Suarez.

“He’s been really impressive, especially at the beginning of the season when everyone was saying that Suarez was coming in to take his place,” said Jack Wilshere, his team-mate. “For someone playing in that position it would have been tough for him to lose his place. But he’s showed great character and for me he’s been our best player this season.

“He holds the ball up and brings others into play. He’s learned that side of the game, that the Premier League is tough and sometimes you have to push defenders off the ball.”

If that makes Giroud sound something of a throwback, that’s possibly because, to some extent, he is, with Wenger identifying the player as one of a dying breed; a determined, physical striker whose roots lie in Europe. “We teach more play on the ground, we have better training pitches, before even in the games in the 1950s you had to lift the ball and bump it forward and you needed somebody who fights for the ball. Today we educate more on the ground,” said Wenger, ruminating on why the best strikers now come from South America. “Maybe we pay a bit of a price for less people who are ready to go for this kind of ball.

“There is still a place for people who go behind the defenders. Is it in the air? Is it on the ground? Are people ready to body challenge.

“It looks to me like players like Suarez, they use their bodies like they have that habit to go for the impossible ball you’ll not find in many strikers.”

The opening goal certainly suggested things are going Giroud’s way right now. Boruc inexplicably failed to clear from a backpass midway through the first half, eventually losing possession after trying three times to round the forward. The second came after Jose Fonte held Per Mertesacker inside the area five minutes from time.

In between, Southampton had provided more evidence their early season bubble is not about to burst. Their response to Boruc’s mistake was impressive and they would have been level but for Wojciech Szczesny embarrassing his opposite number and Poland team-mate by producing excellent saves from Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez.

And there is certainly no lack of confidence among Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

“In England I understand that people think the tradition is to be Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Spurs to be in the top four but we are here to change the tradition,” said Morgan Schneiderlin, the midfielder.

“We want to upset the Premier League and be able to upset everyone. That is our job and what we want to do this year.”

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Szczesny 8; Sagna 6, Mertesacker 7, Koscielny 7, Gibbs 6; Ramsey 7, Arteta 6 (Rosicky 74 6); Wilshere 7, Ozil 6 (Monreal 81, 6), Cazorla (Walcott 71, 6); Giroud 9.

SOUTHAMPTON (4-2-3-1): Boruc 3; Clyne 7, Fonte 5, Hooiveld 6, Shaw 7 (Davis 46, 6); Wanyama 8, Schneiderlin 7; Ward-Prowse 6, Lallana 7 (Osvaldo 54, 6), Rodriguez 8; Lambert 7.

Referee: M Clattenburg