A supporter has been arrested after confronting Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger as his side crashed to a 2-0 defeat at Southampton.

The fan ran with his arms outstretched in front of the Gunners' boss as he sat in the dugout late on in the game at St Mary's.

Footage showed the man being bundled away down the tunnel by two stewards as Wenger held his arm out in apparent frustration at the intruder.

The incident capped a miserable visit to the south coast for Arsenal whose goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, gifted the Saints victory with two howlers.

Wenger sat fuming on the bench, shaking his head sullenly in reaction to Szczesny's loose errors which gifted Southampton their win.

Staff at Saints were subsequently told that the fan was an Arsenal supporter, although Wenger was initially under the impression it was a home supporter.

Police said a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of ''going into an area adjacent to the playing area contrary to the Football (Offences) Act 1991''.

The suspect, from Lymington, Hampshire, was being questioned last night by Hampshire Constabulary officers.

A Hampshire police spokesman said: ''Police have arrested a 25-year-old man from Lymington following an incident on the pitch at St Mary's at the end of the Southampton versus Arsenal match.

''The man was arrested on suspicion of going in to an area adjacent to the playing area contrary to the Football (Offences) Act 1991.

''The man remains in police custody. Officers are investigating the circumstances to establish whether any criminal offences have been committed.''

Asked about the incident post-match, Wenger said: ''There was a young boy, yes. I think he was a Southampton fan. He was not aggressive at all. I don't think he said anything. Honestly, he was not aggressive at all.''