Arsenal:
             Lehmann
  Toure (Eboue 75) Senderos Cygan Cole
Ljungberg Vieira Flamini Pires (Clichy 45)
       Henry    van Persie

Van Persie had to start alongside Henry because of the suspensions of Bergkamp and Reyes (the absence of which in the next couple of games made the effect of his error all the more significant). Lauren was rested, and with Justin Hoyte injured Toure was chosen to fill in rather than Eboue. The unused subs included Jeremie Aliadiere - his first appearance in the matchday squad this season, and Stuart Taylor (Almunia being ill).

Southampton started well. Henri Camara burst through on goal within 2 minutes of the kick-off but Cygan managed to tackle him just as he set himself to shoot. Despite the home side continuing to have the better of the opening period, Arsenal had the best chance after Henry and Flamini combined nicely to set up van Persie who sidefooted wide. A few minutes later he created a chance for himself, receiving a pass from Flamini with back to goal he pushed it to his right and turned to beat a defender and shooting low - but too close to the keeper.

There wasn't a lot else to get excited about till close to half time. Lehmann had to make an easy save from Camara after a free kick, and Vieira had shot up the other end.

In first half injury time David Prutton, who'd earlier been booked for a bad foul on Flamini (which could have got him sent off in itself) repeated the crime going in hard on Pires. Bobby's ankle was turned and he could be out for a while. Once again it could have been red, but a second yellow was enough. And Prutton did see red in a sense, approaching the linesman angrily he pushed the ref when the latter tried to intervene, and Harry Redknapp had to pull him off the pitch. Big ban coming.

Almost immediately, Henry dribbled through the box past a few defenders, and just as it looked like he might have overdone it and lost control he played a delightful pass across the area to Freddie on the right, who made no mistake for 1-0. That was with 10 men on the pitch, Clichy then coming on for the be-stretchered Pires just before the halftime whistle blew.

Early in the second half Flamini's pass found van Persie who cut inside and played it to Henry, unmarked and 5 yards out. Probably should have scored but credit also to Smith who saved with his leg. Same 3 players involved for Arsenal again, but soon one of them missing. Van Persie had been booked for elbowing a player on the wing, it looked pretty dodgy but he got away with a yellow because the pair of them were running alongside each other and so it had a little of a shrugging action (clutching at straws here). No question about the second yellow on 52 minutes. Le Saux may have gone down easily but van Persie did go in too hard. As he went off you could see the annoyance in Wenger's face on the touchline, and in TV replays you can see him saying "I told you about this at half time" to the young striker as he left the pitch. It's a shame, van Persie had been playing quite well and a bit less individualistically than he sometimes does. But if Aliadiere gets a chance to play before Robin's back, he could find himself back down the pecking order. I just hope the fact that van Persie's still got a lot to learn helps to convince Wenger to keep the master on for another year.

Southampton took heart from the levelling of numbers, and when Redknapp's corner from their left came over on 62 minutes Lehmann came rushing out with a crowd between him and the ball and next to no chance of getting hold of it. The enormous Peter Crouch rose to head it goalwards and the ball bounced up off the ground and in off the underside of the bar, giving the 2 players on the line no chance (but going just where the keeper should have been). Crouch should have made it 2-1 soon after when put through on their left, he beat Senderos easily and then shot low past Lehmann but also a yard past the far post.

The rest of the game was largely a story of decent chances for Arsenal either missed or saved well by Smith, including an excellent acrobatic one from Ljungberg's header. Just before full time we thought we'd nicked it when Cole stole in at the far post to stoop and head home a Ljungberg cross from the right, but he was (rightly) given offside.

I may have said it before but this time I mean it: so much for the league. Never mind winning it, second place will be a struggle now. Still in with a chance in the cups though, and the game at home to Bayern next week is simply huge.