Bukayo Saka has stolen the spotlights once again as Arsenal produced a stunning comeback against Southampton in the Premier League.
Arsenal vs Southampton records
Arsenal went into the game unbeaten in their last 28 home league games against Southampton. They had won 19 of the meetings, drawing nine.
The last time the Gunners suffered defeat at the hands of Southampton was in November 1987.
Moreover, from the records, Southampton has never won an away Premier League fixture against Arsenal in all their 24 meetings. They have drawn 8, recording 16 defeats.
However, there was a navigable caveat for the away side. They have held the Gunners to ransom in their last two Premier League matches, forcing them to drop points in the two matches.
Nonetheless, it was still set to be a tricky affair for the Saints based on their records against London sides. They had recorded 82 Premier League defeats in their 139 games. Also, newly-promoted clubs in the English top flight have had a tough run taking on Arsenal at the Emirates.
In their last 40 Premier League games at the Emirates against newly-promoted sides, Arsenal have recorded 0 defeats, drawing five, and winning 35.
Moreover, the two sides met at the back of contrasting Premier League fortunes since the start of the season.
Six matches into the season, the Saints were still looking for their first win. They had recorded five defeats with a draw and were second from bottom with just a point.
Conversely, Arsenal were yet to taste defeat in the season and were posturing to challenge for the Premier League title again. The Gunners went into the game third on the Premier League table with 14 points from four wins and two draws.
Bukayo Saka heroics enabled Arsenal’s stunning comeback
Bukayo Saka scored and assisted twice to cap a terrific Premier League start as the Gunners edged out Southampton with a 3-2 comeback win at the Emirates.
Cameron Archer scared the hosts in the second half when he scored 10 minutes into the second 45 to give the Saints an unlikely lead. Raheem Sterling’s ludicrous mistake led to the goal. The Chelsea loanee was dispossessed by the opponents who broke on a quick counter before Archer was found. The English attacking sensation made it count, beating David Raya with a right-footed strike into the bottom right corner.
It took Arsenal three minutes to find the equalizer after Archers’ opener. Saka stole the spotlights for the opening goal. He dispossessed Southampton player and found Kai Havertz, who converted it with ease to peg the visitors to a 1-1 draw.
Eight minutes after the hour mark, the Gunners went on a rampage again. Bukayo Saka bagged his second assist in the day after his cross was poked home by Gabriel Martinelli at the back post.
Martinelli’s goal saw the Gunners turn the game on its head with ease but that was not all. Bukayo Saka turned heads again late into the game. The terrific winger was well-placed to fire home Arsenal’s third goal from a deflection to seal the win for the home side.
Saka’s lofty goal saw the player deal a final blow to Southampton’s comeback hopes with just two minutes left to play.
Reactions as Saka steals show in Southampton win
Saka’s heroics in the match couldn’t go unnoticed. His hat-trick of goal contributions saw the player become a talking point on social media.
An X user, AI wrote, “Saka is the best player in the world now.”
Another user wrote, ”…this is a 5-star performance from Saka.”
Another said, “Bukayo Saka is a magnificent player. He has shown the consistency over the years.”
Another wrote, “This Saka 2nd half hoop sesh has been a 10/10 to watch, he’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Bukayo Saka records in the Southampton win
Saka’s five-star performance against the Saints has seen the player attain notable milestones. First, he has now matched the record held by former Arsenal player Mesut Ozil for providing seven assists in seven consecutive Premier League games. And that is not all.
According to Statsman Dave, Saka has now joined elite young footballers who have scored or assisted 90+ goals in the Premier League at 23. Other names on the list include Cristiano Ronaldo, Theo Walcott, Raheem Sterling, and Ryan Giggs.
Also, the fast-rising youngster has now become the player with the most assists in Europe’s top five leagues with just a few games in the season. He is two assists better than his closest rivals such as Lamine Yamal of Barcelona, Joao Neves of PSG, and Alex Baena of Valencia who all have five assists each.
Arsenal Premier League standing after Southampton match
Arsenal are third on the Premier League table with 17 points after the victory. They share the same point with Manchester City in second place but are separated by a +2 goal difference. Liverpool maintain the top spot with 18 points following a narrow 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in the early fixture.
Arsenal will return to Premier League action on October 19, 2024, against Bournemouth after the international break. Meanwhile, Southampton have now gone winless in their first seven Premier League games this season. They are 19th on the table with a point and will host Leicester City in their next fixture on Saturday, October 19, 2024.
