Saka stars as Arsenal sees off plucky Saints
Arsenal came from a goal down to earn its 400th Premier League home win as it overcame a plucky Southampton 3-1 at Emirates Stadium.
Cameron Archer stunned the hosts in the 55th minute, firing a low effort into the bottom corner after being picked out by Mateus Fernandes’s raking pass.
But the Gunners responded three minutes later through Kai Havertz, who continued his scoring streak at the Emirates with a fierce strike beyond his former team-mate Aaron Ramsdale.
The comeback was complete 10 minutes later when Bukayo Saka’s teasing delivery to the back post found substitute Gabriel Martinelli.
Saka himself then sealed the triumph with a fine first-time finish, with Arsenal remaining third, behind Liverpool and Manchester City, while Southampton sits in 19th.
Arsenal's triumph saw it secure its 400th home Premier League victory, becoming just the second side to reach the milestone after Manchester United – 428 home wins.
But the comeback win was largely down to the performance of Saka, who has now assisted in six of Arsenal’s seven Premier League games this season – seven in total, three more than any other player in 2024-2025 – while he provided two assists in a single league game for just a second time.
Only Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Chelsea's Cole Palmer – 10 each – have more Premier League goal involvements than Saka this term –nine, with two goals and seven assists.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta showered praise on his players after the game, saying his squad will "always find a way" to win.
"The start was exceptional, the dominance, the chances. It was unbelievable not to go one, two, three goals up," Arteta said.
"We conceded the goal, and then it was game on.
"I thought the team reacted with a lot of authority, and I am happy the team can react like this – but not happy after the chances we had that we had to go through that.
"The substitutes changed the energy and also the feel in the crowd. We won in the end and I think we deserved it. This team always finds a way.
"The way we started was phenomenal, but we didn't get our reward. We had a difficult context at 1-0 but we did it."
Arteta also lauded Saka's performance.
"For sure. That's the maturity and steps players have to do. He's been in the team long enough to earn the right to have that role. He believes in that," Arteta said.
"He has the capacity to change and decide games like many other players. If we want to be at the top, sometimes players have to create those moments, and he's certainly done that again today."
