Saka Shines As Arsenal Defeats Southampton In Second Half
Bukayo Saka was the hero as Arsenal pulled off a thrilling second-half comeback to defeat Southampton 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
With the win, Arsenal consolidated their position near the top of the Premier League table.
Saka set up both goals and scored one of his own late in the game to seal the victory.
Southampton, looking for a comeback, took the lead in the 55th minute. Cameron Archer made a brilliant solo run and fired a low shot past Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya for an unlikely 1-0 lead.
Arsenal, however, was quick to respond. Just three minutes later, Saka timed his pass perfectly to Kai Havelz, who fired a powerful shot from the edge of the box. The ball hit the left post and rattled the net to tie the game 1-1 and send the Emirates crowd into another frenzy.
Saka continued to wreak havoc on the Southampton defense and played a key role in Arsenal’s second goal in the 68th minute. His cross found Gabriel Martinelli, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal to put the Gunners ahead 2-1.
The goal was upheld, although referee Tony Harrington was momentarily on edge as he suspended the celebration for VAR verification to check for a possible offside.
As Southampton struggled to mount a counterattack, Arsenal took advantage of a defensive error in the 89th minute. A misplaced pass allowed Saka to pick up the ball, and the young star calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to put the game back on track, 3-1.
