Wenger confident Arsenal will bounce back

“The second one was a foul on [Laurent] Koscielny and that was the turning point but the referee didn’t see it, then we were exposed on counter-attacks”.

Things would get worse in stoppage-time, though, as Long collected Tadic’s pass and slotted through Cech’s legs.

Arsenal’s Joel Campbell, left, and Southampton’s Victor Wanyama battle for the ball during the English Premier League match Southampton against Arsenal at St Mary’s, Southampton, England, Saturday Dec. 26, 2015.

“I think we were unlucky as well. We had Giroud, but we also had Theo Walcott who I believe is a world-class striker, we had Alexis Sanchez who is a world-class striker, and we had Danny Welbeck who is a world-class striker”, Wenger said, as quoted by the Mirror.

The Gunners went into the game with a 100% record in December and knowing three points would move them above Leicester at the top of the table.

“The title is down to consistency to fight in every single game and produce a performance”, Wenger said. And we were soon punished, with Shane Long finally getting the goal he had been threatening to score all game. “We can’t dwell on that too much”.

A third goal for the hosts came in the 68th minute, Jose Fonte meeting a corner to power a header into the net.

“So it looks like we are on the right trend, the right way”.

“I felt we were physically not at our best”.

With Arsenal fielding the same team for a fourth straight match, this physical lapse was perhaps the downside of being either unable or unwilling to rotate. “I like to analyse the game and if you lose 4-0 and you talk about the referee it’s not my way to analyse a football game”.

The margin could have been far greater in that match (after the game an angry supporter memorably confronted Arsene Wenger) and prior to this game, Wenger allowed as how he had not forgotten the match or the result, but he claimed his defense was now stronger.

There were a few half chances created by us before the end of the half, but the story of the game so far had been Shane Long running our centre-backs ragged, and possession being turned over far too easily in midfield.

So should Dutch-born Curacao defender Martina, signed from FC Twente in the summer and only in the team thanks to an groin injury to first-choice right back Cedric Soares.

“We didn’t play well”.

After the break, Southampton had another goal disallowed, this time for offside, as Virgil van Dijk looped a header over Petr Cech, before crashing into the goalkeeper.