With two assists and a goal, Bukayo Saka shone brightly, helping Arsenal win convincingly 3-1 against Southampton, thereby continuing the race to chase the top spot in the Premier League.
At Emirates Stadium on the evening of October 5, 2024, Arsenal had an important 3-1 victory over Southampton in round 7 of the 2024/25 Premier League. This result helped the Gunners continue the race to chase the top spot in the Premier League with Liverpool and Manchester City.
Entering the match as the home team and leading the table, Gunners quickly dominated the game from the first minutes. However, a surprise happened in the 55th minute when Southampton’s Cameron Archer made a breakthrough and a delicate shot, defeating goalkeeper David Raya, opening the score. This goal made the atmosphere at Emirates Stadium tense, but was also the spark that lit up the home team’s determination.
Conceding a goal, pushed up their formation to attack relentlessly. Just 3 minutes later, Bukayo Saka made a great assist for Kai Havertz to equalize 1-1. This goal not only equalized the score but also added motivation for Arsenal, helping them continue to put pressure on Southampton’s field. Saka’s appearance was like a fire that lit up the Gunners’ attack, creating many dangerous opportunities.
In the 68th minute, Saka once again shone with a cross for Gabriel Martinelli to easily tap the ball into the net, raising the score to 2-1 for . This coordination showed the understanding between the home team’s attacking players, and also reflected the flexible tactics of coach Mikel Arteta when he brought Martinelli on from the bench.
In the 89th minute, Saka completed his excellent performance with a goal that sealed a 3-1 victory for Arsenal when he took advantage of a mistake by a Southampton defender.
Gunners showed the mettle of a title contender when they were behind. They did not panic but patiently deployed their style of play. Bukayo Saka’s excellence was a key highlight, helping the Gunners turn the situation around and win convincingly. Besides Saka, other players such as Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli also left a strong impression, showing Arsenal’s squad depth and diverse scoring ability.
As for Southampton, despite a good start with a surprise goal, they could not maintain their advantage under constant pressure from . The visitors’ defense made many mistakes, especially in the final goal, causing them to suffer their 6th defeat after 7 rounds.
This victory helped Guuner continue the race for the top spot in the Premier League with 17 points after 7 rounds (5 wins, 2 draws). Coach Mikel Arteta’s team is showing impressive form and high determination in the championship race this season. The combination of young stars like Saka and the experience of veteran players creates a balanced team, promising to be a formidable opponent for any team in the championship race.
Meanwhile, Southampton, with this defeat, is facing the risk of falling into a fierce relegation battle. They need to find a solution soon to improve both their attack and defense, if they do not want to continue to sink deep into the bottom group. The pressure is on coach Russell Martin, and he needs to make timely adjustments to get the team out of the current difficult situation.
Scored:
Arsenal: KaiHavertz 58′, Gabriel Martinelli 68′, Saka 88′.
Southampton: Archer 55′.
Starting lineup:
Arsenal: David Raya; Partey, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Jorginho; Havertz, Rice; Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Sterling.
Southampton: Ramsdale; Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Walker-Peters, Manning, Downes, Aribo, Fernandes, Stewart, Dibling.
Detailed match progress:
90’+9
Full time! Arsenal 3-1 Southampton!
Arsenal explode in the second half thanks to Mikel Arteta’s adjustments, alongside the good form of Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka
90′
9 minutes added to the second half.
88′
Goal! Arsenal lead 3-1 (Bukayo Saka 88′)! Trossard’s breakthrough attempt is blocked by a Southampton defender, Saka quickly rushes in to shoot hard to score for the Gunners.
79′
Crossbar! In a corner kick, a Southampton player rushes in to head the ball, the messy situation sends the ball hitting Raya’s crossbar.
78′
Post! Dibling handles the ball well outside the box and shoots with his left foot very hard, the ball goes beyond Raya’s reach and hits the post.
73′
No goal! Saka handles it very well, he shoots off the visitors’ foot before Ramsdale dives to block.
68′
Goal! Arsenal lead 2-1! (Gabriel Martinelli 68′)! Saka dribbled beautifully and then made a pass to the far post, Martinelli closed in and finished from a tight angle into the visitors’ net.
After VAR intervened, the goal was awarded to the Gunners.
63′
Havertz broke through the middle and shot, but the ball went quite far from goalkeeper Ramsdale’s goal.
60′
Arsenal made 3 changes:
Mikel Merino, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli replaced Jorginho, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling.
58′
Goal! Arsenal equalized 1-1 (Kai Havertz 58′)! Saka cut the ball off the opponent, sent a through ball for Havertz to break through and finish the equalizer.
55′
Goal! Southampton opened the scoring (Cameron Archer 55′)! Earthquake at the Emirates. Mateus Fernandes cut the ball off Sterling and passed it long, Cameron Archer entered the penalty area and shot into the far corner to beat David Raya.
49′
Danger! Arsenal’s defense lost focus and Southampton counter-attacked, Mateus Fernandes flew and shot over the bar.
46′
Danger! After Sterling’s effort to dribble, Gabriel Jesus shot outside the box and missed the goal.
46′
Second half begins.
45’+3
First half ends! Arsenal 0-0 Southampton!
The Gunners controlled the ball but lacked accuracy.
45’+1
No goal! Saka pushed the ball back, Thomas Partey shot outside the box but was brilliantly saved by Ramsdale.
45′
There are 2 minutes of injury time in the first half.
45′
No goal! Arsenal had a good chance, Sterling handled the ball skillfully but shot straight at a Southampton player.
40′
No goal! Jorginho held his chest and then kicked the ball very hard from outside the box, but it went wide of the post.
36′
The use of Gabriel Jesus and Sterling has made Arsenal ineffective in attack.
31′
Kai Havertz finishes but simply with his former teammate Ramsdale.
27′
The match is interrupted when Ross Stewart. Southampton’s player cannot continue playing.
24′
Arsenal can no longer maintain the speed of the first minutes. The Gunners have difficulty breaking the deadlock.
18′
Arsenal dominate the game, but Mikel Arteta’s players do not finish well, constantly hitting the away team’s players.
12′
In the corner situation, Havertz jumps high and heads the ball over the crossbar.
10′
Kai Havertz does not finish but is a bit slow and crosses, Southampton player manages to block.
6′
Danger! The ball reaches Gabriel Jesua’s feet but the Brazilian player shoots it off the away team’s player’s foot.
4′
Chance! Gabriel Magalhaes’ header from a corner kick fails. Then there’s a wobbly situation but the home players can’t finish as expected.
1′
The match begins.
Premier League table
[prostandings path=”/a/50/league/england-premier-league/standings”]
