Ronald Koeman hailed “magic” Fraser Forster after the keeper’s inspired performance helped Saints to a point at Arsenal.

Forster was playing just his fourth game after almost ten months out through injury, and made it four clean sheets on the bounce as he produced a string of brilliant saves to hold the title chasing Gunners to a goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium.

It proved beyond doubt that Forster is back and better than ever.

Daily Echo:

Koeman said: “Not one team in one and a half years managing Southampton create what Arsenal create opportunities today.

“Then you need to be lucky first, and then you need to have a goalkeeper who is saving everything, and that’s maybe what I need to explain about what happened.

“Normally it’s more difficult for opponents to create that kind of chances against us.

“We fight unbelievable, we had an unbelievable spirit.

“In counter attacking we had not that quality. We had three or four times one against one, Long and Mane against one defender. We had chances to shoot close to the box but it was not good enough.

“Every time you go back more and more defending and that’s difficult because Arsenal is so good offensively with a lot of creativity and that’s difficult.

“Then you need a goalkeeper who is magic and he was magic tonight.”

Koeman thrust Forster back into first team action in the home game against Watford, but admitted he would not have done so had it not been for an injury to Maarten Stekelenburg, even though it now looks an inspired decision.

“It’s always difficult because he was nine months out and maybe we had to force a little bit about his coming back because Stekelenburg was injured and if he was not injured maybe we wait one or two weeks more,” admitted Koeman.

“It happened and we know normally if you are nine months out you need rhythm, game minutes.

“From the start when he is back he is what he was and that’s unbelievable.

“Credit to the medical staff and to Fraser himself. He worked so hard to come back and a better compliment tonight is not for Fraser.”

Forster’s display against the Gunners has caught national attention, and already started talk of whether he can force his way not only into the England squad for this summer’s European Championships but past Joe Hart and into the team.

Koeman reflected: “He’s one and a half years fantastic for Southampton.

“He is in the national team, one of the best in the Premier League and maybe Europe.

“Joe Hart is a very experienced, good goalkeeper, but if he is doing his job like tonight then a lot of credits to the goalkeeper.

“Then he needs a chance but that’s not up to me.”