Guardian
"Whatever doubts anyone might harbour about Arsenal’s standard, they continue to tick off the lesser assignments and will stay among the European spots if that trend is maintained," writes Nick Ames for the Guardian. "A sloppy start gave way to a comfortable afternoon’s work; even better, the goals were shared between a striker, a midfielder and a defender.
"In recent years Mikel Arteta would have revelled in a healthy haul that did not rely squarely on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, so he could be doubly relieved to savour one here.
"While Alexandre Lacazette, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel can be feted for their contributions, their names took a back seat in the post-match conversation.
"Arteta must have thought he had left Arsenal’s soap‑opera habits behind after a summer revamp but he now faces a huge decision on how to deal with his club captain, who was dropped from the match‑day squad after returning late from a trip abroad. Aubameyang has let Arteta down before and been forgiven.
"On the available evidence that is not a state of affairs that can continue infinitely and it is no example to set when you are an elder statesman in the Premier League’s youngest squad."
Independent
"If ever a performance encapsulated Arsenal’s relentless craving for volatility, their victory over Southampton will serve as a gleaming example of how to conquer both ends of the spectrum," writes Tom Kershaw for the Independent.
"After three defeats in four games had sucked the momentum out of Mikel Arteta’s interminable reboot, Arsenal’s manager began the weekend by publicly ostracising his captain and then spent much of the opening 20 minutes burying his face in his hands as his side reeled off errors like a wheel of fortune.
"But then, the most infuriating aspect of Arsenal’s current state is how they can lurch from the laughable to the sublime. Just as the irritation at a sodden Emirates began to sour, Alexandre Lacazette finished a truly magnificent team goal to open the scoring and, from thereon, the result was rarely in doubt, with Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Magalhaes completing a 3-0 victory either side of half-time.
"On the surface, without the generosity of any further description, it will be chalked down as a commanding clean sheet. It certainly finished that way, but that was as much a result of Southampton’s blunt and brittle offering, who are now without a win in five and poised precariously above the relegation zone.
"And so, after a recent downturn that gathered more potent misery with every step, Arsenal are back on the precipice of the top four. It has to be said, though, their victory wielded few assurances that the Artetaverse won’t soon be knocked off its unstable axis again.
"Certainly, there will be more speculation to come over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s absence due to a “disciplinary breach”, and his side began the match with an appropriate lack of leadership on the pitch."
Daily Mail
"What a mess. It truly is a conundrum of odd elements, comprising a fat contract of £350,000 a week, a worrying trend of diminishing returns, and yet another disciplinary scenario that requires fuller explanation," writes Riath Al-Samarrai for the Daily Mail.
"All this after Arteta had to deny rumours of a rift with the striker just last week.
"But credit to those team-mates who kept inside the club’s rules. Or credit to their persistence, because they weren’t always brilliant here and for 20 minutes they were actually rather awful — a Southampton side arriving with one win in five were pressing them into the turf.
"But Arsenal flipped a switch and became rather irresistible, as is their habit against lesser lights."
Mirror
"Despite a disastrous performance away at Everton on Monday night, Arteta opted to deploy the exact same starting eleven for the visit of the Saints today," writes Josh O'Brien for the Mirror.
"Having not played since September’s derby day victory over Tottenham Hotspur, Granit Xhaka was thrown back into the thick of things at Goodison Park and kept his place at the Emirates.
"Perhaps the bravest decision of all was to keep £45m man Thomas Partey in the starting line-up after his recent string of woeful displays, the worst of all coming in the last outing against the Toffees.
"However, after some early jitters Arsenal’s expensively assembled squad started to play with the freedom and flair many know they can, including those who have struggled of late.
"Arteta's decision to task those who failed on Monday to better themselves five days later clearly justified."
