Arsenal recorded a 3-1 victory over Southampton on Saturday, but it was not the straightforward affair some fans may have been expecting.
Southampton took a shock lead in the second half after frustrating the hosts in the first period, but Arsenal fought back with goals from Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.
Mikel Arteta’s side are still unbeaten in all competitions this season, and this strong form comes despite several key injuries, with captain Martin Odegaard and defenders Ben White and Jurrien Timber all currently among the absentees.
Arsenal have performed superbly against top opposition the last month, and were seconds away from securing maximum points from trips to Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
Former Man City defender Micah Richards has now heaped praise on Arsenal and Arteta after this tough run of fixtures, as he noticed something brilliant in their victory over Southampton.
Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, acknowledges the fans after the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Southampton FC at Emirates Stadium on…
Micah Richards praises Arsenal’s adaptability after win vs Southampton
Speaking on Match of the Day, Richards highlighted how Arsenal have adapted to different styles in different games, and praised Arteta for navigating such a tough run of fixtures.
“What’s so great about Arsenal is the way they press, and the way they can adapt to how the opponents are playing,” he stated.
“They set traps, they sort of play 4-4-2 at times when they press, and Jorginho and Rice were really aggressive when they were going high.
“We’ve talked about Southampton and how they want to play out the back, but they [Arsenal] set little traps.
“It’s so good to see Arsenal adapt from the Champions League, where they were defensive but winning the game, to being at home and having the possession.
“Arsenal, Saka and Havertz were too alert to what they [Southampton] were trying to do. Arteta – I just think he’s having a fabulous couple of seasons now. He really is able to capture what this team needs to do in different moments.”
Arsenal adaptability helped them in tough fixture run
Arsenal have missed several players throughout this run since the International break, but Arteta’s adaptability helped them stay unbeaten.
Arsenal were unfairly criticised for their defensive performance against Man City, but this shows that Arteta is able to set his team up in any way he wants.
The Gunners were dominant over PSG in midweek, but whilst they continued to dominate, they found themselves a goal down, and they had to adapt to a much more attacking approach than seen recently.
This seamless adaptability could help Arsenal win the title over the course of the season, and Arteta deserves huge credit for instilling this in his team.
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