Southampton, who had won the joint-fewest league matches in England’s top four divisions, defeated Arsenal, unbeaten in 22 games across all competitions, on Sunday afternoon. Football’s a funny game, isn’t it?
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s home bow presented a truly challenging outing. The Gunners had been flying high and despite recent wobbles, have shown immense resilience and cutting edge.
The Saints, meanwhile, haven’t been in the best shape. They headed into this game with just one Premier League victory to their names having failed to secure three points since September.
It was clear for all to see that Southampton were the underdogs. It appeared, on paper, to be a routine win on the road for Unai Emery’s side, with the odds stacked firmly in their favour.
Arsenal didn’t have it their way, though. They came up against a team rejuvenated and re-energised, inspired by a man at the helm who has thrived from helping plucky sides make names for themselves and one who has always relished the ‘underdog’ status.
Hasenhuttl has reinstalled the feel-good factor at Southampton. He’s only been here for five minutes and yet he has already achieved what appeared to have been an impossible task; unifying a fragmented fanbase and lifting a squad riddled with mental fragility.
The Austrian has already shown us more in 12 days than Mark Hughes ever did during his time at the club. He has made a clear effort with the supporters and appears to have already developed strong relationships with several members of the squad.
Previously hesitant and overly cautious in possession, Southampton took the game to Arsenal and were rewarded for it. They didn’t treat their visitors with respect and they made it clear from the first minute until the last that they were not going to go down without a fight.
This mentality and this attitude has not been prevalent since Ronald Koeman was in charge. The win against Arsenal was, in fact, Saints’ first win against a ‘Big Six’ club in the Premier League since the Dutchman left St Mary’s.
Expectations were not particularly high among Southampton fans heading into this fixture. There was something of a collective acknowledgement that the Gunners were likely to take the share of the spoils, but also a desire and new-found hope that they would see a team that they could take pride in.
It was not just a crucial three points for Southampton, nor a fantastic game to watch, it was as close to a watershed moment as has been encountered since the football club’s recent demise.
Of course, it is imperative that Saints build upon the foundations they have laid with such an impressive feat. Their trip to Huddersfield Town on Saturday is a six-pointer at the bottom and one they must treat as a cup final.
With Hasenhuttl leading his troops into battle once more, though, it seems complacency will not be an issue.
The manager was often seen pacing around his technical area against Arsenal, encouraging his players to kick on but also refusing to contain his frustration at times, even when the team were ahead.
Perfection is an unattainable objective in football, but it is nice to have a meticulous, hard-working and attentive man in charge of a group that is in evident need of guidance, careful management and motivation.
Under the likes of Mauricio Pellegrino and Hughes, effort would only scarcely be displayed by Southampton’s players but even in these cases, there would be no game plan to draw upon.
This seems to be an unlikely eventuality under Hasenhuttl. He stressed after the win against Arsenal that he and assistant boss Danny Rohl had only worked on the “basics” during their brief stints on the south so far.
And yet more tactical nous, game management and instruction were distinguishable against Arsenal than in any other Premier League game involving Southampton in the past two seasons.
Pressing triggers were followed to a tee by Saints’ players; they hunted in packs, were aggressive and worked to retrieve possession as a unit. The team moved the ball quickly and broke away at pace – there was genuine urgency against Arsenal and there was no sign of slowing down, even in winning positions.
The atmosphere at St Mary’s has been rather poor since the halcyon days under the likes of Koeman passed by. This has predominantly been a consequence of laboured football, married with a lack of leadership and noticeable regression in the standard of players on the pitch.
When the final whistle blew and Southampton ended Arsenal’s unbeaten run to move out of the relegation zone, however, it was as though a cup final had been won. The victory brought the players closer to the fans and Hasenhuttl certainly isn’t doing a bad job at endearing himself to the supporter-base, either.
Supporters turn up to football matches to be entertained. They want to see 90 minutes of full-throttle action with their team giving blood, sweat and tears for the cause. It is not too much to ask for players to give nothing less than their all, and yet it has been too tall an order for some Southampton players in previous seasons.
Often, performances are valued over outcomes and against a team of Arsenal’s calibre, this was the case. Southampton were able to clinch a much-needed yet surprising win on Sunday; perhaps even more pleasingly, they did it in style.
It wasn’t always pretty, but it was always wholehearted and determined from the Saints. Players and supporters feed off each other and this was a key factor against the Gunners.
Hasenhuttl’s energy on the sidelines was infectious and Southampton’s aggressive performance captivated its audience. Every press was encouraged, every challenge was backed and every player was lauded.
The little things can make the difference sometimes: captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg berating his teammates, calling for focus after they opened the scoring; Yan Valery’s confident defending late on being met with a rousing applause and congratulations from his fellow defenders.
These minor yet influential sightings were never there to be witnessed under Hughes. There seems to now be a stronger unity and a more collective effort as a new era at St Mary’s has begun.
The hard work has only just got underway for Saints and they must now use this win as a catalyst for their season.
Time will tell whether or not this victory is a watershed moment for the club, but it is one that should be cherished, enjoyed and fondly remembered as Hasenhuttl’s reign truly gets underway.
