Arsenal held 2-2 by Southampton in Premier League

England: Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw at Southampton on Tuesday, leaving the door open for one of their rivals to seize the Premier League lead.

Arsenal recovered from a goal down after being thoroughly outplayed in the first-half to go up 2-1 thanks to quick goals by Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla after the restart. But Southampton fought back immediately with Adam Lallana slotting in the equaliser just two minutes after Cazorla's goal, and Arsenal were reduced to 10 men when Mathieu Flamini was sent off for a two-footed tackle with 10 minutes left.

Both teams still pushed for a winner, with Southampton coming closest and forcing goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to make a couple of good saves in the closing minutes.

Arsenal are now two points ahead of Manchester City and three ahead of Chelsea, who both play on Wednesday. If both their rivals win, the Gunners could find themselves suddenly in third.

And after arguably their worst half of the season, many were again questioning the title credentials of Arsene Wenger's team at the half-time break.

"In the first half, if you had said we take a point tonight, I don't believe you," Wenger said.

Jose Fonte put the hosts ahead when he jumped over Nacho Monreal at the far post to head in from close range, although Szczesny arguably should have kept it out.

Sam Gallagher, making his full debut at the age of 18, should have doubled the hosts' advantage soon after when Monreal's clearance fell into his path, but he shot well wide from just in front of goal.

Arsenal came out much more aggressively in the second-half, however, and quickly turned the game on its head.

Just three minutes after the restart, Bacary Sagna met an over-hit cross on the right flank and sent a low cross across the goalmouth, which Giroud deftly deflected into the net. It was the Frenchman's fourth goal in five matches in all competitions - a record Cazorla bettered in the 52nd minute when he collected a pass from Mesut Ozil and beat Artur Boruc from the edge of the box to make it five in five.

But the hosts didn't back down, and Lallana fired home Jay Rodriguez's cutback to make Saints just the second side to score more than one against Arsenal in their last 22 league games.

Ozil, one of Arsenal's most enterprising players in the second half, nearly scored a winner when he collected the ball inside his own half and drove forward into the left side of the area, but his shot deflected off Fonte and looped onto the crossbar.

But Arsenal's hopes of a victory were dealt a major blow when Flamini was handed a straight red card for a two-footed lunge on Morgan Schneiderlin.