With Arsenal having won 19 of the past 31 encounters in London and having scored in the previous 25 games this season, the odds didn't look good.
Strachan lined up with his preferred eleven with the exception of the injured James Beattie, who was replaced by Kevin Davies. So the team was Jones, Dodd, Bridge, Lundekvam, Williams, Telfer, Svensson, Oakley, Marsden, Pahars, Davies.
Highlights
1- Arsenal start the game positively with Pires down the left to Bergkamp, Bergkamp's ball is cleared by Williams ahead of it falling to Wiltord.
4- Wiltord puts a ball across the face of goal. Pires just fails to get on the end of it.
4- Jones' goal kick goes straight out for a throw. A combination of the wind and his kicking ability. Telfer fouls Cole from the throw to give Arsenal a freekick in a dangerous position but nothing comes from it.
5 - Saints try putting a couple of balls high to the edge of the Arsenal penalty area but the Gunners clear easily.
6- Dodd delivers a freekick to the back post looking for the run of Davies, but the ball passes out for a goal kick.
8 - The assistant ref flags for offside on Henri just on the edge of the Saints box.
Arsenal's pace and movement are certainly putting pressure on the Saints defence in this opening spell.
13- Jones gathers the ball ahead of Bergkamp.
14- Vierra attempts a shot but it looks more like a pass and Saints get it clear.
16- Luzhny slips allowing Davies to get clear only to be tackled by Sol Campbell.
18 - Henri one on one with Jones. Henri tries to nutmeg him but Jonah saves it, putting it behind. Wiltord gets on the end of the corner at the back post. His header down isn't picked up by an Arsenal player and Saints get it clear to Pahars. Pahars is clear of the Arsenal defence but they get back and Luzhny tackles.
23 - Le Tissier manages to get a booking on the touchline after saying some unpleasant things to the assistant referee.
26 - Parlour gets the ball into the box for Wiltord who goes down under a Williams challenge. The ref thankfully doesn't give a penalty.
26 - Substitution - Vierra goes off for van Bronckhorst.
26 - Another Jones goalkick goes out into touch showing he hasn't learnt how to adapt to the conditions or his kicking is even worse than usual.
28 - Davies booked for a late challenge on Cole.
32 - Marsden crosses to Pahars whose header loops onto the top of the net.
33- Wiltord races through the centre to the Saints penalty area. His shot lifts over the bar when he perhaps should have done better. Good run though.
34- Luzhny's cross is too deep for the Arsenal strikers and Saints get it clear.
35 - Telfers' challenge gives Arsenal a freekick. Davies puts it behind for a corner.
36- A Pires cross just goes over the bar.
37 - Svensson's freekick is deflected behind for Saints first corner of the match. Telfer's ball in goes to Davies who misses his shot and handle the ball.
39- Pires' chip gets to Bergkamp. The Dutchman can't finish it with his head but the ball drops to Wiltord who was following up and he puts it into the net as it falls to the floor.
Arsenal 1-0 Southampton
42- Marsden's cross is knocked down by Davies but Pahars' shot goes well wide.
42 - Dodd picks up a yellow card after a bad challenge on Pires.
45 - Cole's freekick is cleared by Williams for a corner.
46- van Bronckhurst's effort is blocked for another Arsenal corner which Davies clears.
HalfTime Arsenal 1-0 Southampton. Arsenal were by far the better team in the opening spell as Saints sought to contain them. This was working quite successfully after 20 minutes and Arsenal were beginning to lose their momentum. However a second spell of pressure after 35 minutes put Saints under the cosh again and led to the Gunners opener. Strachan will have to push up at some stage in the second half to get Saints level, but he won't want to leave any gaps for Arsenal to exploit. Saints haven't created anything yet and there would be no way back from 2-0 down.
47 - Pahars on a good run but he fails to pass it to Marsden in the centre. Arsenal break also and Henri's effort clips the top of the crossbar on the way over.
48 - Richard Wright has to punch clear ahead of Kevin Davies.
51- Wiltord volleys over after another great ball from Pires.
53- Dodd's ball into the box falls too close to Wright and the 'keeper collects easily.
48- Davies earns Saints a freekick. Dodd's attempt is headed by Williams off an Arsenal shirt for a corner. Telfers' corner is cleared.
Along spell of play follows with neither side creating a chance. Saints are capable of containing Arsenal as they look to exploit any openings. It's a good cautious approach.
61- Wright makes a poor clearance from a backpass but Davies can't get a chance on goal.
61 Jones blocks an excellent chance from Henri.
62- Pahars breaks, the flag stays down. This time he passes to Marsden when the he could have had a shot himself.
63- Arsenal break upfield and get a corner. Jones parries the ball down into the area but his defence get it clear.
64 - Wiltord's cross is cleared as is Bergkamp's shot., Arsenal have definitely moved up a gear and Saints are under a considerable amount of pressure now.
67- Kevin Davies comes off for Jo Tessem. Davies would have been far more effective as a target man and Saints may have lost their best attacking threat.
67 - Telfer volleys a shot over the bar from a trademark Oakley long throw.
71 - Bergkamp comes off for Edu.
75- Oakley comes off for Fernandes.
78 - Pahars shot goes over after a good run.
80 - A freekick for Saints on the right. Svensson takes it. Tessem rises above the defence and powers a header to the left of Wright and into the net.
Arsenal 1-1 Southampton
80 - I immediately take back everything I said about the Davies substitution.
80- van Bronckhurst puts in a low cross. Williams tries to clear it and it goes over his own bar. The Arsenal corner goes to the back post for Campbell who should have scored but Saints get it clear to Fernandes who eventually runs the ball out of play.
81- Pires' shot goes over the bar due to the pressure Wayne Bridge was putting him under.
Saints are under a little pressure but Arsenal are notorious this year for taking leads and failing to finish matches off. This may be haunting them a bit as Saints press for every challenge. It's been another excellent, committed performance by Saints. Hopefully their hard work will be rewarded with a point.
87- Lundekvam gets across to make a superb challenge on Henri. The French striker was almost through on goal and his frustration at Lundekvam gets him a yellow card.
Saints have actually looked the better side since 75 minutes as Arsenal have begun to lose their composure under the sheer graft of the Saints side.
90- Henri gets the ball to Wiltord on the feet of the penalty area. Wiltord somehow manages to put the bal over the bar form six yards out. An excellent chance for a winner.
Arsenal try to pull out all the stops in the closing minutes of the game, pushing forward for the second goal.
92 - Henri attempts an ambitious shot but it goes wide and Saints earn a deserved draw.
Full Time Arsenal 1-1 Southampton
Saints did exactly what they set out to do. Defend well against Arsenal's obvious pace in Henri and Pires and look for the occasional chance to venture up front. No, it wasn't the most exciting Saints display you'll ever see, but then the determination, workrate, perseverance and ability to stick to a game plan more than made up for it in my book. The remaining time after our equaliser was especially tense and I thought we'd blown it at the end only for Wiltord to sent is shot over the bar !
Overall, an excellent performance with every player make their impression on the game. The man of the match was Pires but for us either Telfer or Marsden were the pick of the bunch.
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