Arsene Wenger admits Manchester United nightmare was still haunting Arsenal defenders at Southampton

Martin Keown was not the only Arsenal defender who failed to turn up at St Mary’s yesterday.

The BT Sport pundit was caught in snow on the M40 and, as if to show solidarity with the former Gunner, the current rearguard also went missing as Charlie Austin scored after 128 seconds.

Yet Arsene Wenger did not blame the biting weather for getting caught cold.

The Gunners manager reckoned his defenders were still haunted by what happened against Manchester United a week earlier, when they were 2-0 down inside 11 minutes.

“Last week had an influence on today’s game – it took us time to get into the game again,” he said.

“I felt that the Manchester United game was still in the heads of our defenders. That’s why sometimes it’s not too good to talk about a problem because you create even a bigger one.”

So don’t mention the score. Or a fragile defensive unit which will never win the Premier League and is again endangering the club’s chances of qualifying for the ­Champions League.

Such was their early disarray that Austin could have completed his hat-trick in the opening eight ­minutes – Petr Cech made a fine low save from him ­before he hit the post after straying ­offside.

Per Mertesacker was finally hooked after 64 minutes as Arsenal reverted to a back four as a launchpad for the comeback.

Goalkeeper Cech said: “The first 10 minutes cost us the game against Man United and it almost did again today. It is something we have to work on.

“Every player needs to ­ensure that when they step out of the dressing room they are ready to ­compete.”

But after the horror opening, it was deja vu for the Frenchman as his side again dominated possession and chances yet failed to win.

The home defeat against Manchester United was bizarre.

This away performance was more predictable until Wenger threw on Jack Wilshere to add urgency – and then his fellow sub Olivier Giroud nodded home Alexis Sanchez’s 88th-minute cross.

The draw lifts Arsenal above Tottenham into fifth place. But Wenger could not resist criticising ­referee Bobby Madley – and the frustrating Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez.

He was not happy with Madley’s failure to clamp down on Southampton time-wasting. And on the Chilean (far left), he said: “I am happy with his performance in the second half but in the first half I feel he played too deep.

“He is tempted sometimes to drop a little bit deep into midfield. When you start 35 yards away from goal, it’s difficult to score.”

Southampton had chances to seal a win with a second goal but Oriel Romeu hit the bar and then Ryan Bertrand missed when clean through.

“If we had got the second goal, it is all over,” claimed Austin. “I don’t see them coming back. But a one-goal lead in this League is not enough.”

But in-form Austin promises to be the difference between a relegation battle and mid-table security for the Saints this season.

Before his first Premier League start of the season against Everton, Southampton had scored nine goals in 12 games – and only four from open play.

Austin, who was set up by the excellent Dusan Tadic, has now netted four in four to lift them up to 10th.

Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino said: “I think it was a positive performance – we were intelligent and ­competed well

“I feel we are growing.”