Arsenal rallied from a 1-0 second-half deficit to defeat Southampton 3-1. Bukayo Saka was outstanding, providing two assists and a goal in the comeback victory. This win, along with the Gunners’ 4-2 win over Leicester last week, keeps Arsenal within one point of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League. Without further ado, let’s discuss this critical victory in our Arsenal 24-25 part 6 article.
Arsenal 24-25 Part 6: Arsenal’s Defense Was Good Overall Aside from Allowing Southampton’s Goal
David Raya Played Well
The Gunners surprisingly failed to keep a clean sheet against Southampton. However, Arsenal’s defense performed pretty well overall in this match. David Raya had a solid game, although he did make one notable mistake when he failed to claim a cross.
That nearly cost Arsenal. However, Raya distributed the ball well, claimed crosses effectively most of the time, and made several saves. Raya isn’t to blame for Southampton’s goal.
Partey Did His Job at Right-Back and Calafiori Excelled at Left-Back
Thomas Partey played at right-back and performed decently. Right-back is clearly not Partey’s natural position, but he did what he could. Still, it would be best for Arteta not to play Partey in that position moving forward.
Riccardo Calafiori played well at left-back. The Italian defender deserves credit for his performance as he pressed well, defended well, and helped drive the team forward in attack. Calafiori provides a good balance of solid defending and effective attacking. His profile is unique and benefits the team.
Gabriel Was Quite Good But Saliba Could Have Played Better
William Saliba deserves some criticism for his performance against Southampton. He could have done much better to prevent Southampton’s goal as he backed up and allowed Cameron Archer to shift the ball onto his stronger right foot. Saliba didn’t have a poor game overall, but he made a significant mistake. It is worth remembering that Saliba is quite young for a defender and will surely learn from this.
Gabriel Magalhaes was definitely the better of Arsenal’s center-back pairing against Southampton. Gabriel won many duels, defended intelligently, and used his physicality to stop Southampton’s attacks. The Brazilian defender earns plenty of praise for his performance against Southampton.
The Subs Helped the Team
Kiwior and Tomiyasu were the two defensive substitutions in this game. They both played well and helped Arsenal see out the game. It’ll be great once Arsenal’s defense is healthier so players don’t have to play out of position like Partey had to against Southampton.
Arsenal 24-25 Part 6: Arsenal’s Midfield Lacked Creativity Until the Second Half But Controlled Possession
The Gunners’ midfield setup didn’t entirely work in the first half. With Jorginho and Rice, there was a lack of creativity in midfield in the first half. As a result, Arsenal only managed one shot on target in the first half, although they had 58% possession in the entire match.
Thankfully, Arteta corrected this by bringing on Mikel Merino early in the second half. Merino added much-needed balance to the midfield and helped Arsenal create goal-scoring opportunities in the second half. As for Rice and Jorginho, they both played well. However, Arteta’s starting midfield setup didn’t exactly work and substituting Merino onto the field was necessary.
Arsenal 24-25 Part 6: Arsenal’s Attack Woke Up In the Second Half
The Gunners’ attack didn’t do much in the first half. Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus both played poorly. They did nothing to give Arteta selection headaches moving forward. Leandro Trossard replaced Jesus in the second half and had a decent game. The Belgian created several chances and could have had an assist in this game. Trossard should have started in midfield to give Arsenal some creativity, though.
However, Arsenal’s attack woke up in the second half after Southampton scored. Bukayo Saka provided the assist for Kai Havertz’s equalizer three minutes after Southampton took a shock lead at the Emirates. Havertz’s finish was clinical and it was part of an outstanding performance by the German. Havertz also won many duels and provided a focal point for Arsenal’s attack. Havertz has now scored in seven consecutive home games this season, matching Robin Van Persie.
Gabriel Martinelli came on in the second half and made an instant impact. Martinelli scored Arsenal’s second goal beautifully with his left foot and caused Southampton’s defense problems the entire time he played. As usual, Martinelli worked extremely hard and pressed relentlessly.
Bukayo Saka takes most of the headlines from this game and rightfully so. Saka was phenomenal in the second half, providing two assists and scoring Arsenal’s third goal to seal the victory. Saka now has nine goal contributions in seven Premier League games this season. That includes seven assists. It is possible that Saka could break the record for most Premier League assists in a season, which stands at 20.
In any case, Saka is a superstar and proved that once again. Arsenal’s attack scored three goals and got five shots on target in the second half as they turned up the pressure on Southampton. Southampton couldn’t cope with this at all.
Manager Rating: 7.5/10 for Arteta
Arteta didn’t set the team up well initially. Partey at right-back doesn’t work well and the lack of an attacking midfielder in the starting lineup hurt Arsenal. The team struggled to create chances in the first half and Sterling and Jesus failed to do much. However, to Arteta’s credit, he solved this issues in the second half via substitutions. The triple substitution of Merino, Martinelli, and Trossard made a significant impact and directly led to Arsenal eventually winning the game. As a result, Arteta receives a 7.5/10 manager rating for the match against Southampton.
Arsenal Travels to Face Bournemouth After the International Break
The Gunners travel to Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth to play AFC Bournemouth following the international break. Bournemouth have struggled to begin this season, with only eight points so far. Arsenal should comfortably defeat them, especially considering how well the Gunners usually play away from home. Hopefully, that is what happens.
Check back next week for more Arsenal content.