Southampton recorded a 2-0 victory over Arsenal this afternoon to tighten their grip on fourth spot in the Premier League.

Sadio Mane broke the deadlock during the first half, before Dusan Tadic sealed the outcome after the restart.

Here, Sports Mole has rated the performances of all of the players on show at the St Mary's Stadium.

© Getty Images

Goal

Fraser Forster: The England goalkeeper was on top form today, making some crucial stops at vital moments. (7/10)

Defence

Ryan Bertrand: Back in the side after having to sit out the Chelsea clash, Bertrand showed his class. He defended to a good standard and looked to get forward whenever he could. (7/10)

Jose Fonte: Leading by example, captain Fonte was a rock at the heart of the defence. He made countless blocks and interceptions. (7/10)

Florin Gardos: The Romanian made some crucial challenges and blocks, but he was very lucky to stay on the pitch for a foul on Sanchez. He was substituted to end any chance of him receiving a second yellow card. (6/10)

Toby Alderweireld: Playing in the unusual right-back role, Alderweireld can be pleased with his afternoon's work. He was comfortable in possession and made some good decisions defensively. (6/10)

Midfield

Victor Wanyama: He picked up an early booking for a foul on Sanchez, but remained disciplined with a series of well-timed challenges. (6/10)

James Ward-Prowse: The youngster fluffed two or three decent chances to break his Premier League duck, but on the ball he was neat and tidy. (7/10)

Steven Davis: The Northern Irishman was full of energy and creativity in the final third of the pitch. He may not make many headlines, but he's certainly a valuable member of the team. (7/10)

Sadio Mane: It was another lively showing from Mane, who used his pace to good effect when he opened the scoring. As a neutral, it was a shame for the game when he limped off late in the first half. (7/10)

Dusan Tadic: Looking back to full match fitness, the Serbian winger was probably the best player on the pitch. His pace and trickery caused plenty of problems, with his goal capping off a classy showing. (8/10)

Attack

Graziano Pelle: Was unlucky not to score, having seen two of his efforts strike the post. Even so, playing the lone forward's role, he showed good strength and was quick to bring others into play. (7/10)

Substitutes

Harrison Reed: Brought on to replace the injured Mane, but the youngster struggled to make much of an impact. (6/10)

Maya Yoshida: Having come on with around 20 minutes to go, the Japanese defender proved to be a calming influence on proceedings. (6/10)

Shane Long: He was brought on the closing stages and didn't get many touches of the ball. (5/10)

Goal

Wojciech Szczesny: Oh dear! The less said about the Pole's performance the better. He was at fault for both goals and looked nervous throughout. (3/10)

Defence

Kieran Gibbs: Got forward well, but his final delivery into the penalty area was often poor. (5/10)

Per Mertesacker: The German looked sluggish and was too easily beaten on most occasions. He could also have potentially done better with the first goal. (4/10)

Laurent Koscielny: Like his partner Mertesacker, Koscielny will want to forget this performance. He struggled up against Pelle. (4/10)

Mathieu Debuchy: Perhaps the best of Arsenal's four-man defensive unit, although that isn't saying too much. (6/10)

Midfield

Calum Chambers: Playing in a defensive midfield position, the summer signing from Southampton made little impact on proceedings before he was replaced. (5/10)

Francis Coquelin: Giving a rare start, the youngster didn't do too much that warranted a mention. One burst into the Southampton box promised much, but delivered little. (5/10)

Tomas Rosicky: The veteran midfielder kept the ball moving with some simple passes and sent in one good cross for Sanchez. He certainly wasn't the worst Arsenal player. (6/10)

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: Threatened on occasions with some positive dribbles from the centre of the pitch, but also over-complicated matters and wasted possession. (5/10)

Santi Cazorla: There were times during the first half in which he linked up positively with Sanchez, but he barely featured after the restart. (6/10)

Attack

Alexis Sanchez: Not for the first time, the Chilean was Arsenal's best player. He harried the Saints defence and was the only visiting player to call Forster into action. (7/10)

Substitutes

Theo Walcott: Was obviously brought on to stretch his former club with his pace, but never got the opportunity. (5/10)

Chuba Akpom: The youngster came on the closing stages, but rarely got a touch of the ball. To be fair to the 19-year-old, it wasn't ideal circumstances for him. (5/10)

Written by
Liam Apicella