In the 69th minute, when Gabriel Martinelli tapped in with his left foot at the far post to make it 2-1 for Arsenal, the Emirates Stadium in London erupted, with fans relieved by their team's comeback against Southampton. Although Arsenal mostly dominated on the field, they struggled to reflect that on the scoreboard, trying to keep up the pressure on Liverpool, who are just a point ahead.

Mikel Arteta's team bounced back from an early setback and missed opportunities, struggling to find the net throughout the first half and the beginning of the second. They finally broke through offensively when Kai Havertz's left-foot strike leveled the game shortly after going down 0-1.

Arsenal had a tough fight, deserving the win for most of the match. They started strong with an all-out attack, full of ambition. They played almost entirely in Southampton’s half, camping around their opponent's area like it was a handball game. But they repeatedly ran into the visitors' packed defense, sometimes with ten players inside the box.

It was a sturdy wall, blocking everything. Arsenal launched eleven shots in the first 40 minutes. None found the target, creating constant tension for Aaron Ramsdale against his former team, until a shot from Thomas tested the goalkeeper's reflexes just before halftime.

Southampton had already warned Arsenal once when, suddenly, they took the lead at the Emirates. It only took a ball steal, a pass from Mateus Fernandes, and a skillful move in the box by Archer, finishing with a precise right-footed shot to feel victory chances they hadn’t sensed in the previous 55 minutes.

The key was Arsenal's quick response, leveling the score just three minutes later. Havertz scored a stunner, blasting a left-footed shot from the edge of the box that hit the post before going in, leaving Ramsdale no chance, just like when Saka crossed into the area at the 69th minute and Martinelli, just on the field, smashed in the 2-1 with his left foot.

Even then, Arsenal's victory wasn't assured, rattled by a shot from Dibling that hit the post, deflected by Mikel Merino—who made his Premier League debut on Saturday, coming on for Jorginho after featuring in the Champions League against PSG—and even more by a header hitting the crossbar, until Bukayo Saka sealed it 3-1 amid defensive errors from the opponents.