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“We were better than PSG” – Russell Martin says Southampton should have beaten Arsenal

Southampton boss Russell Martin believes his side deserved more after the 3-1 loss to Arsenal this weekend.

It was a tightly contested affair in the first half when Southampton changed their approach and limited the gunners to one clear chance. Cameron Archer scored to put the Saints in the lead just after halftime.

Kai Havertz scored in his seventh consecutive game at the Emirates Stadium, and Gabriel Martinelli made it 2-1 in the 68th minute. Bukayo Saka put the icing on the cake late in the game to seal the 3-1 win.

Mikel Arteta highlighted the second half performance after the match:

“…we started the second half, we were a bit sloppy, especially in the first 5-10 minutes with the ball and then the game became a little more open. Then the chance they had, they scored the goal, and then again, we’ve thrown everything away that we did in the first half. It was a completely brand-new game in a really difficult context and the team reacted incredibly well with a lot of composure; big belief, very good clarity in what we had to do. The crowd were exceptional, the subs were exceptional and we managed to win again.”

Russell Martin believes Southampton should have done better

Despite only registering one shot on goal throughout the game, the Saints boss believes his team could have won. He says his team played even better than Paris Saint-Germain against Arsenal in the Champions League.

“We had some brilliant moments; we hit the bar, we hit the post, we score a good goal, a couple of balls across the six-yard box; some really great moments, which not many teams have at Arsenal.

“We watched PSG here on Tuesday and I feel like we’ve had as many if not better moments than they did in the game, but when we go 1-0 up we have to be in front for longer.”

Martin says the only reason Southampton failed to get a result on Saturday was because they gifted Arsenal goals from mistakes.

“It’s so disappointing that it’s a mistake from us that allows them to score, and then at 2-1 I thought we were great. We had a bit of a wobble after conceding [the first] but this team is growing and learning under the biggest scrutiny in the Premier League, but we have to stay on path and help everyone on their journey.

“We have to accept we’re playing against one of the best teams in the country, but we had a lot of good moments today – defensively and with the ball. I feel excited about what’s to come, I feel really excited about the team after today.”