Premiership: Arsenal count the cost as Saints snatch point

Arsenal 1-1 Southampton

A second-half header from substitute Jo Tessem put a dent in Arsenal's championship challenge and kept up Southampton's fine recent away form against the Premiership contenders.

Tessem rose above a leaden-footed Matthew Upson with 11 minutes remaining to punish the Gunners for a pedestrian showing after the break.

Until that point it had looked as though Sylvain Wiltord's 12th goal of the season after 40 minutes, which earned his side the record for scoring in consecutive league games -26, would be enough to see them through an off-day on which they performed only in patches.

And the cost of a subdued late winter afternoon at Highbury could yet prove greater than just two points dropped, as Patrick Vieira, with a damaged hamstring, and Ashley Cole, with a twisted knee, both hobbled away from the action prematurely.

Resurgent Southampton have taken four points from fixtures at Stamford Bridge and Anfield in recent times, so they were never likely to provide the same meagre opposition as back in October, when they lay down meekly against the Gunners in the last days of Stuart Gray's brief St Mary's reign.

And from the first whistle at Highbury their policy was clear - to deny their hosts' clutch of attackers the space to deliver, and release Latvian livewire Marian Pahars at out-of-touch Arsenal right-back Oleg Luzhny.

For the opening half hour, the first part of the plan worked to perfection, as only a Thierry Henry effort, poked straight at Jones after Robert Pires' astute pass, threatened the visitors' goal.

And though they struggled to make anything approaching headway at the other end, their chances of at least a point seemed boosted when hamstring trouble curtailed Vieira's afternoon before the break.

But with half-time in sight a sweeping Arsenal move and a piece of opportunism breached the Saints defence.

Henry collected another Pires pass and crossed towards Bergkamp, and though Jones was first to the ball, it fell invitingly to Wiltord, who rammed it gleefully into the empty net.

For a short while Arsenal looked as though they would use the goal as a springboard, and two minutes after the break only the woodwork denied them a second as Henry struck the bar from another product of the plentiful Pires supply-line.

But when Cole hurt himself tackling Kevin Davies a minute later, Giovanni van Bronckhort's withdrawal to left-back and the introduction of Gilles Grimandi in midfield left them shakier defensively and creatively stunted in midfield.

A sprawling Jones save did deny Henry after a lightning break involving Pires, Dennis Bergkamp and Wiltord, but as Highbury held its breath an equaliser grew ever more likely.

It duly came when one substitute, Arsenal's Edu, tripped another, Tessem, on the angle of the box, and from Anders Svensson's centre the Norwegian gave Richard Wright no chance.

Brazilian Edu tried to make amends with some nimble footwork at the other end, but Paul Williams hacked a dangerous cross over his own bar, and Wiltord's effort from Henry's cross went the same way.

Man of the Match: Paul Williams (Southampton) - has perhaps been an unlikely Saints saviour since arriving from Coventry, but he was colossal again.

Arsenal: Wright, Luzhny, Campbell, Upson, Cole (Grimandi 52), Pires, Vieira (van Bronckhorst 27), Parlour, Wiltord, Henry, Bergkamp (Edu 71).

Subs Not Used: Dixon, Stack.

Booked: Edu, Henry.

Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Bridge, Lundekvam, Williams, Marsden, Oakley (Fernandes 75), Svensson, Telfer, Davies (Tessem 67), Pahars.

Subs Not Used: Le Tissier, Moss, Monk.

Booked: Le Tissier, Davies, Dodd.