Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger rips into ref and insists: “We were unlucky with the first three goals"

Wenger believes that the Gunners should have been given decisions in the build-up to the first three goals as his side lost 4-0 on the south coast

Arsene Wenger lashed out at Southampton’s physical approach and blamed the referee after the Gunners ended up as stuffed as the festive bird.

But Wenger should look at how his players collapsed under pressure from a vibrant, hungry Saints side in this shock at St Mary’s.

Wenger was devastated after his side’s title charge was ­spectacularly derailed on the south coast.

He moaned: “Southampton made the game very physical and we lost too many challenges. That’s why we lost.

“We were unlucky with the first three goals.

“The decisions were all against us, but what can I do about it?

“Shane Long made the game very physical, he got away with too much.”

A brace by Long and goals by Cuco Martina and Jose Fonte gave a previously out-of-sorts Southampton side a superb victory.

Delighted Ronald Koeman praised his players and hit back at Wenger. The Southampton coach said: “Sometimes it’s very difficult to explain why ­something happens.

“It was not about the referee tonight. If you lose 4-0, you can’t talk about the referee.

“It was all about confidence in the team. In the second half we were perfect.

“The game plan was perfect. Shane Long and Saido Mane created a lot of problems. Well done to the boys. Long was very good. He was one of the players who created problems with his movement.”

If the Gunners are to end their painful 12-year wait to be crowned champions, these are really the sort of matches they need to win.

With their rivals taking it in turns to implode, Arsenal were beginning to believe this would be their year.

Heading into this fixture, they had a great chance to leapfrog Leicester into top spot.

But the omens looked bad once Martina opened the scoring with a fantastic strike.

When Ryan Bertrand’s curling cross was half-cleared by Per Mertesacker, there looked to be nothing on for the ex-Twente defender.

He was 30 yards out and the home crowd jokingly urged him to shoot.

The Curaçao international duly unleashed a magnificent strike with the outside of his right boot which curled past Petr Cech to give Koeman’s side a deserved lead.

Just before the end of the first half, Saints almost increased their lead. Mane put Long through but the striker, in for the injured Graziano Pelle, lifted the ball over Cech – and high over the bar.

Long made amends for that miss when he slotted the ball home in the 55th minute.

The Irish forward played a great one-two with Mane before side-footing in from 10 yards.

Wenger was furious – as were his players – because Laurent Koscielny appeared to be fouled by Long.

But it was his own defenders who were on the receiving end of the Frenchman’s moaning when the third Saints goal sailed in.

Bertrand’s corner found skipper Jose Fonte totally unmarked, and the Portuguese defender calmly nodded in.

In the last few minutes, the woodwork denied Long when he slid a side-foot finish past Cech but against the post. Yet the former Hull hitman scored his second goal of a memorable evening in the dying seconds when he broke through to rifle home and complete a disastrous night for the Gunners.

Southampton have had a ­rollercoaster year. Twelve months ago, they were fifth in the league, two points clear of Arsenal. After a dire run the gap is now 15 points.

But it is the Saints who end the year on a high after this sensational victory.

Fonte said: “It was imperative that we had a reaction and we showed passion and ­togetherness to change the bad run we were on.

“The plan before the game was to be ourselves – a hard-working team, quality up front and defending well as a unit.

“We showed we are still a very good team and from now it gives us good confidence to go on a good run.”

Mirror