Arsenal came from behind at Emirates Stadium on Saturday to record a 3-1 win over Southampton, with Bukayo Saka playing a starring role as the Gunners extended their unbeaten run to 16 games in all competitions.
Following a goalless first half in North London, Cameron Archer opened the scoring just ten minutes after the break to hand the Saints an unlikely lead, but falling behind served only to motivate the hosts who restored parity mere moments later through Kai Havertz.
Gabriel Martinelli slotted home ten minutes after that, with Saka finally working his way onto the scoresheet in the 88th minute after registering assists for both of the earlier goals.
Arsenal sit third in the Premier League table, just a point behind Liverpool and level on goal difference with Manchester City. Southampton remain inside the relegation zone with one point from 7 games.
As it happened
Southampton’s less-than-ideal start to the 2024/25 Premier League season looked set to continue as they were forced to endure countless waves of Arsenal attacks throughout the first half in N5, but Russell Martin’s men performed admirably against a side considered by many as serious title contenders.
The Gunners were limited to just one shot on target throughout the first half, with Thomas Partey kept out by Aaron Ramsdale before Raheem Sterling’s rebounded attempt was denied by Jan Bednarek moments later.
Yet despite an impressive defensive performance from the visitors, it was still a considerable shock when they seized the lead ten minutes into the second half. Sterling was dispossessed by Mateus Fernandes, allowing Cameron Archer to cap off a blistering counter-attack by slotting past David Raya to instil hope in the away end.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe euphoria would be short-lived, with Kai Havertz managing to restore parity merely three minutes later. Having dispossessed Flynn Downes in midfield, Bukayo Saka picked out the German, who saw his effort from the edge of the box crash against the inside of the left post before rippling the back of the net.
Saka would soon be involved again, registering his second assist in the space of just ten minutes as Gabriel Martinelli fired the Gunners into the lead with 68 minutes on the matchday clock. Cutting back from the byline, the England international picked out his teammate at the back post, with the finish squeezing expertly past Aaron Ramsdale.
But Southampton weren’t in any mood to accept defeat without putting up a fight, and Tyler Dibling looked to provide a stunning equaliser with a little over ten minutes remaining at Emirates Stadium as he jinked past both Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. A slight deflection saw his strike crash against the left post, forcing a corner that was pummelled against the crossbar.
Arsenal, despite their lead, hadn’t been able to relax at all – until Saka finally provided insurance in the dying minutes of the game, blasting a low effort across goal for his second Premier League goal of the season.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe result sees Arsenal remain just a point adrift of Liverpool at the top of the table, having become just the second team in Premier League history to record 400 wins at home. Southampton remain in the relegation zone, with their only point of the campaign thus far coming in a 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town.
The lineups
ARS: Raya; Calafiori, Gabriel, Saliba, Partey; Sterling, Rice, Jorginho, Saka; Jesus, Havertz
SOU: Ramsdale; Manning, Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis, Sugawara; Fernandes, Downes, Aribo, Dibling; Stewart