Ten changes made by Arsene Wenger from the game against Burnley, compounded with a touchline ban from the Frenchmen, did nothing to discourage a slick, efficient Arsenal performance where the ‘second string’ and youngsters were able to show their worth, and were able to show they were more than capable of stepping into the first team, should anything go wrong.
5-0 was a scoreline which fairly reflected a one-sided game against an admittedly jaded Southampton team (after their League Cup exploits in midweek), with Welbeck and Walcott sharing the goals. When the lineups came out, it was strange to see six wingers ahead of the back five (if we allow Welbeck as a wide man), but the technical ability and muscle out there confounded their positional stereotype.
Overall, a great day for Arsenal, who were able to rest their first team, give confidence to their fringe players, and of course, progress on the way to Wembley.
Here are my player ratings from the game:
