Arsenal tamely bowed out of the FA Cup to Southampton on Saturday, but with five changes and a much better team on the pitch, we played a brilliant game to get sweet revenge on the Saints.
Rob Holding was playing his 100th game for the Gunners, but all he was worried about was getting revenge on the Saints after being dumped out of the Cup.
He told Arsenal.com after the game: “We were disappointed to concede from a set-piece and it was something we looked at after the game on Saturday,”
“We saw the edge as a weakness of ours and they exploited it, so it’s a bitter one to take, but after the weekend we knew we wanted to get them back because they celebrated and we were disappointed to go out of the FA Cup. It was a good bit of revenge.
“We were angry about the weekend’s result and we wanted to get back at them, so everyone was fired up for it. We came out the blocks straight away and Laca was unlucky in the first minute straight through on goal. But he got his goal towards the end which made him happy, and his effort and work rate was top today, so he deserved the goal.
Arsenal’s French striker Alexandre Lacazette is mobbed by teammates after scoring his team’s third goal during the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, southern England on January 26, 2021. (Photo by Frank Augstein / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by FRANK AUGSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Arsenal’s French striker Alexandre Lacazette (2L) celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, southern England on January 26, 2021. (Photo by Naomi Baker / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by NAOMI BAKER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta (L) and Southampton’s Austrian manager Ralph Hasenhuttl react the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, southern England on January 26, 2021. (Photo by Andy Rain / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by ANDY RAIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Arsenal’s English striker Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, southern England on January 26, 2021. (Photo by Frank Augstein / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by FRANK AUGSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Arsenal’s English striker Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with Arsenal’s Spanish defender Hector Bellerin during the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, southern England on January 26, 2021. (Photo by Frank Augstein / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by FRANK AUGSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 26: Hector Bellerin of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium on January 26, 2021 in Southampton, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)Southampton’s Scottish midfielder Stuart Armstrong (R) scores the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, southern England on January 26, 2021. (Photo by FRANK AUGSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“I actually had no idea [about the 100th appearance],” Holding added. “I was going in the tunnel before coming out to do press and Dan told me I had joined the 100 club, so it’s a proud moment for me and my family. Here’s to another 100!”
Well we must congratulate Holding on this landmark, and it has taken five years of resilience and determination for him to finally become a mainstay in the first team, but I am absolutely certain that he will now go on and become a club legend. It is hard to believe that he is only 25, but having recently signed a new contract, I can see Rob staying at Arsenal for the rest of his career.
I just hope that Holding (and the rest of the team) can be just a angry when they play Man United next week! We may not be looking for revenge against United, but can anyone remember when we last did the double over them?
I say Well-done to our boys for taming the Saints yesterday .That was a really sweet revenge after they dumped us out of the FA cup. Beating United come this weekend would really be an icing on the cake for the fans, cos in Nigeria, Man United is Arsenal’s biggest rival as far as the fans are concerned. So if we can do the double over them, that would be sweet. So COYG make us proud.
It’s the same in kenya. Arsenal vs Man U games are very tense here, you would know a goal has been scored by the roars coming from bars and private homes. It would make my week if we can best them again.
I now feel a bit better about our FA cup elimination after MA explained that the changes made were forced upon us by injuries Auba ESR KT..and covid effects still being felt by some players who were all meant to play the fa cup game once again i don’t any have no problems to admit i got it wring in this instance!
I say Well-done to our boys for taming the Saints yesterday .That was a really sweet revenge after they dumped us out of the FA cup. Beating United come this weekend would really be an icing on the cake for the fans, cos in Nigeria, Man United is Arsenal’s biggest rival as far as the fans are concerned. So if we can do the double over them, that would be sweet. So COYG make us proud.
It’s the same in kenya. Arsenal vs Man U games are very tense here, you would know a goal has been scored by the roars coming from bars and private homes. It would make my week if we can best them again.
I now feel a bit better about our FA cup elimination after MA explained that the changes made were forced upon us by injuries Auba ESR KT..and covid effects still being felt by some players who were all meant to play the fa cup game once again i don’t any have no problems to admit i got it wring in this instance!