Arsenal 3 – 1 Southampton

Bukayo Saka inspired Arsenal to victory over Southampton as they came from behind to win 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal were frustrated by their stubborn visitors in the first half and fell behind shortly after the break when substitute Cameron Archer found the bottom corner following a Saints counterattack.

However, the goal sparked an immediate response from Arsenal as Saka stole the ball and fed to Kai Havertz, who guided a fine finish past Aaron Ramsdale to score for the seventh time in a row.

The turnaround was complete when Saka's diagonal cross was converted by substitute Gabriel Martinelli, with the goal surviving a VAR check for offside, before Saka capitalized on another Saints error to convert Arsenal's third shot and secure victory.

Arsenal, wasteful early on after handing Raheem Sterling his first Premier League start and Gabriel Jesus his first start of the season, had to endure more nervous moments between their second and third goals when Tyler Dibling hit the post and David Raya scored a shot from a corner that bounced back onto the bar.

But in the end they emerged as deserved winners with 29 shots. The win kept them a point behind leaders Liverpool and ensured Southampton remain in search of a first win despite an improved performance in the 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth.

Analysis: Saka competes again

Mikel Arteta was in the top four with a total of 279 goals and 158 assists in the Premier League, but it was the youngest member of the quartet who could really step up.

This was another outstanding performance from Saka who, at just 23, continues to be the player Arsenal rely on in difficult moments. His two assists took him to seven in the Premier League this season. At the time of writing, no one has more than four.

Saka's goal removed any threat in the final minutes of the game and followed a similarly important strike in Tuesday's Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain.

A closer look at the numbers highlights the extraordinary extent of his influence against the Saints.

After taking seven shots and creating eight chances in the 4-2 win over Leicester, another game in which he helped Arsenal avert disaster, he recorded similar numbers here, attempting a further seven shots and creating a further seven chances .

This time he had a goal and two assists to show for his performance; Arsenal's match winner once again.

Martin is proud of Southampton's efforts

Southampton Boss Russell Martin:

“I’m really proud of the team in many ways. The willingness to defend, fight and run that wasn’t there in the first half on Monday was there in abundance today.”

“I feel like they've grown since Monday, they've learned a lot. They stuck to the game plan, I thought it worked really well.”

“I knew we would be under a bit of pressure, especially in the first half, and then I asked them to be a bit bolder in the second half and show a willingness to receive the ball, and we did that.”

“We had some big moments. We hit the crossbar, hit the post, we scored a good goal, but we weren't in front long enough and that's the only disappointment.”

Analysis: Dibling shows star potential

Dibling was a bright spot for the Saints in a difficult season and that continued at the Emirates Stadium. The 18-year-old continues to show star potential even under difficult circumstances.

He looked unfazed on the big stage and provided some of Southampton's best attacking moments.

At some point in the second half, he was seen overtaking Arsenal right-back Riccardo Calafiori and crossing to Manuel Fernandes, whose shot went just over the goal.

Not long after, he shot inside to the No. 10 position and unleashed a powerful long-range shot that hit the post with a slight deflection. His quality was evident – ​​and not for the first time this season. A bright future awaits you.

History of the game in the statistics…

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