HARRY Redknapp admitted Saints' recovery from what looked like an impossible half-time position had reinforced his view that the current team can still win their relegation scrap.

Despite being 1-0 behind at half-time and down to ten men, Saints took a point against the champions after Robin Van Persie followed David Prutton in being sent-off.

Redknapp's men matched Arsenal for long periods of the game and continued their good form of recent weeks.

"We were in desperate trouble at half-time but the thing that is encouraging for me is that we are playing well," said the Saints boss.

"If we can turn a few draws into wins we will be OK.

"When you are stood in the dressing room 1-0 down at half-time when they have worked so hard, they are on the floor.

"You think 'how are we going to get anything out of this game?' 1-0 down to Arsenal with ten men, I couldn't see a point coming.

"Lucky enough the sending off squared the game up and gave us a chance."

Despite losing Prutton, Redknapp left strikers Henri Camara and Peter Crouch on the pitch and relied upon Nigel Quashie, Jamie Redknapp and Graeme Le Saux to hold together the midfield.

"We had to have a go at half-time," said Redknapp.

"If it had been 0-0, I might have taken a striker off and played 4-4-1 and tried to keep it tight.

"But at 1-0 we have got to get a goal back somehow and I just thought if we can get it forward to Crouchie and Camara they can conjure something between the pair of them and nick us something."

A string of excellent Paul Smith saves kept Saints in the game during the dying minutes.

"Our goalkeeper did fantastic," said Redknapp.

"He came from Brentford and when Niemi got injured we thought we could be in trouble, but the kid has done great.

"Both my goalkeepers have done well. We are lucky really."

With Crystal Palace having moved four points clear of Saints with their 2-0 win over Birmingham, Redknapp knows his team must start winning games both at St Mary's and on their travels.

He added: "We can win away from home with that team. We have got better games away from home. We have got Villa, Tottenham and Norwich at home and they are big games.

"The thing in our favour is that we are playing well. When I first came it was horrendous.

"We drew 0-0 with Charlton and if I'm truthful I thought 'I've got no chance with this lot'.

"But Everton, Portsmouth, Liverpool, West Brom and Saturday we are playing okay and if we continue doing that we have got a big chance."

HARRY Redknapp looks set to recall Anders Svensson with David Prutton facing a ban.

Prutton had been part of a settled first-choice quartet alongside Graeme Le Saux, Nigel Quashie and Jamie Redknapp.

Svensson is due to leave Saints when his contract expires in the summer for Swedish club Elfsborg, but will definitely remain at St Mary's until the end of the season.

Redknapp's other options in midfield could be Paul Telfer or Matt Oakley, with Fabrice Fernandes still unavailable.

The Saints boss said: "Svensson can come back and play. I need him here, he is a good lad. He can come back into the team."