Southampton hit four as Arsenal miss out on top spot

With Liverpool's victory against Leicester City earlier in the day, Arsenal had the chance to move into first place with a win. Their opponents were looking for their first win in five league games and were sitting just four points off the relegation zone.

The deadlock was broken when Cuco Martina scored from 30 yards, with an astonishing, curling shot with the outside of his right foot. Arsenal struggled to find an answer in the first half.

Southampton added three more, through Shane Long (twice) and Jose Fonte, as Arsenal got their familiar sensation of missed opportunities. Wenger could not inspire his side to take their chance to go top of the league, in an oddly predictable shock.

They remain favourites for the league, though, and will hope to recover in their next match against Bournemouth on Monday. Surely they can finally win the league again?

19' - GOAL! Southampton 1-0 Arsenal. Martina scores - Bertrand's cross is headed clear, and Martina has enough time to connect well with a shot with the outside of the boot, and it flies in from 25 yards.

25' - WARD-PROWSE SHOT - Ward-Prowse dribbles towards goal, turns right, then left to make room, but his shot dribbles wide.

39' - WALCOTT HEADER - Arsenal win a corner on the left, Ozil's corner is met by Walcott at the near post, unmarked, but he heads wide of goal.

55' - GOAL! Southampton 2-0 Arsenal. Long scores - Mane bursts down the right, Long runs towards goal and trips Koscielny in the process, and clips in a return pass.

69' - GOAL! Southampton 3-0 Arsenal. Fonte scores - From a corner on the right by Bertrand, Fonte's uninterrupted run ends with a header in at the near post.

90+2' - GOAL! Southampton 4-0 Arsenal. Long scores - Long is put through past the Arsenal central defence again, and he drills a shoot through Cech's legs to make it four..

Cuco Martina's goal is the first scored by a Curacao international in the Premier League.

Arsenal have 10 more points in the Premier League than any other side, this calendar year.

[MATCHCAST: FULL MATCH STATS AND COMMENTARY]

How often can Arsenal do this? They have the best chance to win the league in a decade, and yet they cannot beat an out of form Southampton side. This was a chance to take advantage of Leicester's mistake, and again they threw away a chance. They have a game against Bournemouth to come, if they fail against them, they can be written off once more.

Shane Long (Southampton): Fortunate to stay on after some risky fouls, fortunate to get his goal after tripping Laurent Koscielny in the build-up, but unfortunate not to see Koscielny go unpunished for his elbow on him. Beyond that though, his running off the shoulder of central defenders kept Arsenal on the back foot throughout their attacks, and his finishing - though by no means clinical - sealed victory for the side.

Southampton: Stekelenburg 6, Martina 7, Fonte 7, Van Dijk 6, Bertrand 6, Wanyama 7, Clasie 6, Ward-Prowse 6, S.Davis 7, Mane 7, Long 6. Subs: Tadic 6, Romeu 6, Juanmi 6.

Arsenal: Cech 6, Bellerin 5, Mertesacker 5, Koscielny 5, Monreal 6, Ramsey 6, Flamini 6, Walcott 5, Ozil 5, Campbell 5, Giroud 5. Subs: Chambers 6, Oxlade-Chamberlain 6, Iwobi 6.