Arsenal came from behind to maintain their unbeaten start to the season against winless Southampton at Emirates Stadium.
Two goals in 10 second-half minutes from Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli ensured the Gunners made a full recovery after being stunned by Cameron Archer’s opener for the visitors, before Bukayo Saka confirmed the three points late on.
It meant Arsenal became only the second club in Premier League history to record 400 home wins, and they remain within one point of Premier League pace-setters Liverpool before the international break.
Southampton, who still only have one point after seven games, had struggled amid incessant Arsenal pressure from the outset but, albeit at times unconvincingly, the visitors successfully held out until half-time.
Saints took an unexpected lead 10 minutes after the restart, Archer providing a neat finish on the counter attack after Raheem Sterling, making his first league start for the Gunners, was dispossessed by Mateus Fernandes.
That only served to spark Arsenal into life, however, and the hosts responded just three minutes later when Havertz curved an excellent finish in off the post, before Martinelli timed his run perfectly to meet Saka’s cross at the back post.
With Arsenal unable to put the game out of reach, Southampton produced a spirited response but were twice denied by the woodwork when Dibling’s effort deflected on to the post and Adam Armstrong hit the crossbar from the resulting corner.
But Saka, provider of his side’s first two goals, scored the third in the closing stages with a clinical finish, as Arsenal extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 16 matches.
Arsenal required a dramatic late show to rescue three points against Leicester last weekend and, for a long period, their latest meeting with one of the promoted clubs again threatened to prove complicated.
It took Southampton’s opener to animate Arsenal, until then bordering on complacent in their dominance and infuriatingly wasteful in pursuit of a breakthrough.
But the response is what will matter most to Arteta, enjoying his longest unbeaten streak as Arsenal boss, with five wins from seven – along with two draws achieved with 10 men – representing a very promising start to their latest Premier League title challenge.
Saka once again proved invaluable to the Gunners’ cause, with his involvement in all three goals taking his tally to three goals and seven assists after 10 games in all competitions this season.
The England international kick-started the comeback by dispossessing Flynn Downes and teeing up Havertz, then lofting a wonderful cross to Martinelli before getting the goal his performance deserved.
It appeared set to be a long afternoon for Southampton as they weathered wave after wave of Arsenal attacks in the early stages, but Russell Martin’s side grew in belief as they restricted Arsenal to just one first-half shot on target.
That saw Thomas Partey, deployed at right-back in the absence of the injured Jurrien Timber, denied by Ramsdale before Jan Bednarek denied Sterling on the rebound.
But Saints’ joy was short-lived following Archer’s shock opener and the visitors were ultimately overrun in the closing stages. Despite positives for Martin to take, not least their resilience, they have now matched their worst ever top-flight run, going a 20th match without a win for the first time since 1969.
Source: BBC Football
