October 05, (THEWILL) – Arsenal maintained their impressive record against newly-promoted teams at the Emirates Stadium with a 3-1 victory over Southampton, keeping pace with Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the English Premier League.
The Gunners had to come from behind, with two assists and a goal from Bukayo Saka, to extend their unbeaten run against Southampton to 29 games.
The first half ended goalless, with Southampton goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale, denying his former club on several occasions. The visitors took a surprise lead early in the second half when Cameron Archer curled a beautiful shot into the bottom corner. However, Arsenal’s response was swift and decisive.
Kai Havertz equalised with a fantastic finish off the post, marking his seventh consecutive home goal. Substitute Gabriel Martinelli then put Arsenal ahead, tapping in a cross from Saka at the back post. Saka, who provided his seventh assist of the season with the two Arsenal goals, sealed the victory with a right-footed strike into the far corner during a counterattack.
The result reinforced Arsenal’s strong position in the early EPL title race, while Southampton suffered their seventh consecutive top-flight away defeat. The newly-promoted side remains winless since their return to the top flight, facing an uphill battle to avoid relegation.
Nigerian international Joe Aribo played the full 90 minutes and had a goal-bound shot in the box blocked. His compatriot Paul Onuachu came in as a second-half substitute but his 16-minute play did not disturb the hosts. The Gunners’ ability to turn the game around demonstrated their resilience and offensive capabilities under manager Mikel Arteta.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
