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Arsenal made easy work of a desperate-looking Southampton side as they breezed to a 3-0 home win without captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was dropped for disciplinary reasons.

The comfortable and stylish win will have soothed tensions in the Emirates Stadium crowd as manager Mikel Arteta had begun feeling the heat once again after a poor run of results.

Lacazette's opener was vintage Arsenal
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Lacazette's opener was vintage ArsenalCredit: Getty
And Arteta couldn't hold back after a poor run
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And Arteta couldn't hold back after a poor runCredit: Getty

Without Aubameyang, who was dropped due to a late return from holiday, his replacement wearing the Gunners' armband soon wrestled the narrative away from his strike partner.

Alexandre Lacazette stepped up to lead his side, and did so in mouth-watering fashion when he finished off a stunning 16-pass team move in the 21st minute.

Saints' emergency keeper Willy Caballero was soon picking the ball out of his net again when Martin Odegaard made it three goals in three, heading home after some fighting work from Kieran Tierney.

Any hope of a Saints comeback was shattered in the second-half when Ralph Hasenhuttl's side were once again breached in the air, with Gabriel nodding in from a corner just after the hour.

Gabriel ended a game that was never really a contest
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Gabriel ended a game that was never really a contestCredit: AFP
Ramsdale was delighted with his role in Arsenal's brilliant opener
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Ramsdale was delighted with his role in Arsenal's brilliant openerCredit: Getty

Gabriel's header brought a sense of relief around the Emirates, but in truth the game was over inside half an hour.

It was a stark contrast from Arsenal's recent displays, which saw three losses in four as Arteta's position was thrown back into the balance.

But things have quickly brightened up, with the Gunners now a point off of the top four, behind rivals Spurs who have a game in hand.

As for Southampton, Hassenhuttl will instead be the one having a sleepless night, with his Saints team winless in five and flirting with the bottom three.

Hasenhuttl is now second the bookies' running to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job
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Hasenhuttl is now second the bookies' running to be the next Premier League manager to lose his jobCredit: AFP

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