Arsenal blanks Southampton on Alexis, Giroud goals to inch closer to fourth place
SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) – Arsenal kept alive its ambitions of qualifying for next season's Champions League by beating Southampton 2-0 in the Premier League thanks to second-half goals by Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud on Wednesday.
Sanchez moved onto 20 league goals for the season when he collected Mesut Ozil's first-time through-ball and deceived two defenders with a clever turn inside the area, before slotting home a low finish in the 60th minute.
Giroud–just on as a substitute–added the second in the 83rd, heading home after Sanchez's cross was helped back into the middle by Aaron Ramsey.
Arsenal is making a traditional late-season charge in a bid to seal a top-four finish, with this fourth win in its last five league games lifting Arsene Wenger's side above Manchester United and into fifth place. Arsenal is three points behind fourth-place Manchester City, and four points behind third-place Liverpool with a game in hand.
How the FA Cup, another late-season rally play into Arsene Wenger's Arsenal future
Arsenal has three matches left, against Stoke, Sunderland and Everton.
The only negative for Arsenal at St. Mary's Stadium was right wing back Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain limping off injured in the 36th minute. Key center back Laurent Koscielny had already failed a late fitness test.
