Never ones to do things the easy way, Arsenal fell behind in the second half against a dogged Southampton this afternoon, but goals from Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka ensured all three points.
The star of the show was Saka, who also provided two assists, ensuring Aaron Ramsdale’s return to North London was an unhappy one – at least in terms of the result.
Here’s how the players rated this evening.
Read the Arsenal 3-1 Southampton match report and see the goals here
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Genuine argument that Havertz is our most important player at the moment. We look a totally different team without him up top. Love the guy
It’s a toss between Kai and star boy
I agree.
Kai & B just terrific again. The subs really impacted game for us. COYG!
His pass at midfield while on the ground was terrific to see.
Only thing I’d wonder is will he do it under the huge pressure and then I remember the Champions League final…
Chelsea had Salah and DeBruyne and let them go. Both went on to win the league and the Champions League.
Chelsea had Havertz and let him go…
And Jorginho …
Sterling and Jesus looked really rusty. We got the 3 points but again we made it too complicated. TP at RB is just not a good idea. Win is all ghat matters but Sterling is not ready to start for us in the premiere league.
Sterling should never have been brought in. Really overrated player.
Should maybe give him a bit of time.
Yes, and not start him wit Jesus probably
Top at Liverpool, top at Man City for many years, what else do you need to know about the reputation?
You probably said the same thing about Havertz
You probably said that about Havertz too a year ago.
If I did then I wouldn’t be saying it again. It’s not about time, I just don’t like him as a player. Never have. Just a personal choice
He’s not my favourite type of player either but to say he’s “overrated” is kind of silly when he was a key member of a bunch of PL title teams, and we got him for almost nothing when we desperately needed some forward line depth.
Jesus and Sterling should rewatch this game over and over again until they know why they have became useless subs.
10/10 for Saka in second half.
Don’t be so negative. They have their role to play and worked hard
Agree. Plenty of people dissed Kai in the early days…
Agreed but I think this is a touch harsh on Sterling who is in a new team and not used much. Jesus has less defence
Maybe try and see it this way: Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling are our substitutes on the wings, and that’s pretty cool.
We can agree on Saka.
You started well but that useless part has messed up
Cant help but think we would have been ahead at half time had Trossard started. I understand it was a good opportunity to give Jesus a run. Seems Trossards clicks better atm with his teammates
We’ve had plenty of players down the years who needed a run in the side to find their groove. Could be Sterling and Jesus are like that.
By contrast, Trossard’s real super power might just be that he seems to play as well from the bench as he does as a starter. What a signing he’s been.
If Jesus gets a run in the side we’re in trouble.
I hate to dig out any individual but he honestly contributed nothing today – or in any other game this season – and looks like he will never score again.
He had a chance to play in Saka for a nailed-on goal on a breakaway and did eighteen step-overs instead. He’s trying to hard and not only playing himself out of the starting lineup but out of the team in general if he doesn’t buck his ideas up.
Love the bonus rating ❤️
Jorginho Borginho!
Nice bonus rating Andrew. Sorry to learn of your loss. Been there several times so can empathise. Cherish the memories.
Subs made all the difference. Havertz and saka both were 10s i don’t know what to make of Calafiori but he is a hard man cant wait to see a midfield of 🍚, mo,and mm. I commented on Havertz after the away Newcastle game last year saying that tackle which maybe should have been red, shows me really cares about his team and will not allow them to be bullied. He will be fine. after that I had no doubt he would come around but under no circumstances did I ever think he would be the player he is. I… Read more »
We win another without Ødegaard. Very good from Martinelli and Partey. An off day from Saliba (that means he didn’t completely overwhelm every opponent who dared come near him; still pretty good by human standards.) I worry a little about Califiori–brilliant, exciting, unpredictable in attack, but maybe a bit too easy for a fast winger to race past.
Yep, maybe I’m harsh but I thought the score for Calafiori was OTT given his defensive frailties (in this game, not saying he’s bad in general – although I can see what Blogs mentioned the other day about his lack of pace; I thought it was just because Hakimi is lightning quick).
Didn’t think Merino did an awful lot, either. Looks like he still needs to get up to the speed of the game.
Merino looked knackered around the 80 minute mark, obviously needs to get up to full match fitness
Remind me, how long have those two players been in the prem?
Is he slower than Ben White? I think White even by his own admission isn’t the fastest, but he’s somehow never caught out of position and never seems like he’s lost a foot race. Ricky seems like he has the intelligence to be able to learn that from his fellow full back, I’m sure that’s something Arteta and the staff will be working with him on.
Jesus just couldn’t quite handle the Saints today!
He was all “Santa Maria…”
Far too slow, entitled and complacent for 50 minutes. It took Southampton going ahead to finally wake us up. Saka was man of the match, what a player. It turns out this, like all Premier League fixtures, was not a good game to rotate, especially when already missing Timber, White and Odegaard. Let’s keep Sterling, Jesus and Jorginho fresh for Preston in the league cup.
I thought Jorginho was good.
Seems like it was the perfect game to rotate, we gave some people minutes, dominated the half and should’ve had at least one goal going into halftime. Then we had several impact subs to bring in if needed, which we did. I was never concerned about losing the match even after going behind, the rotation worked out fine
Partey should have made an effort to close down Archer for their goal.
Love the new Sterling graphic! Spike Lee is a Gooner!
I don’t get it. Why a boom box?
It’s a play on the character from Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” – Radio Raheem.
I’m not familiar with the character and it was shocking to see Raz be depicted with racial stereotypes.
It’s based on his name, not his race.
Saka scored 2 goals today? Think it should read 1 goal, 2 assists, no?
2024 Havertz iteration is a different beast: run, track back, tackles, shoot,, heads, scores…becoming the player we saw on Leverkusen, totally cured from the joy-sucking-bug from West London
When everyone was slagging him after the signing, I kept saying that he was the best 10 I had ever seen when he was in Germany. All of a sudden he’s doing all of that linking play that he does so well as a 10 AND scoring goals…seems Mikel knows what he’s doing.
Also, just proves Chelsea are shit, that they took such a good player and made him what he was there.
Saka had 1 goal and 1 assist I think
Agreed, to say his pass to Havertz was an assist really is pushing the boundaries of the meaning of the word.
Any pass for a goal that’s scored from outside the box should automatically not be an assist
So if a striker receives the ball and dribbles it into the box before shooting then an assist is awarded; but if the same pass (assistance) is provided but the striker shoots from outside the box then no assist would be given by your logic?
Neither should be an assist.
I don’t think Saka’s passes for either of Havertz’s goals against Brighton or Southampton are an assists, they were excellent finishes. The same goes for Martinelli’s assist for Calafiori against City and Probably Partey’s goal against Wolves.
Saka to Martinelli yesterday, that was an assist. So was Martinelli’s pass to Trossard last week. Passes made into areas of high probability of scoring to a team mate. I’m not having the last pass to a teammate who happens to round a defender and finish from 20 yards as an assist
I think you’re kinda right about this, have often said the same but technically – at least in terms of how stats are counted – they are assists. It’s the same for every team so we should count them.
I get for compiling stat’s making those distinctions is difficult, much easier to just say last pass and for those who are really interested in digging into the weeds there’s xAG which does a better job of showing the quality of chance created.
I have no idea what the xAG for Saka’s pass to Havertz was yesterday but I’m guessing it was pretty close to 0.00 as i don’t think it presented a goal scoring opportunity.
I’ve checked Fbref and Saka’s expected assists this season is 3.7 so he’s currently running very hot, which aligns with what i see with my eyes
Does that take into account corners/set-pieces?
Yes they must do, 2 of the 7 came from corners
Fantastic to hear this about g martinelli
Archers shot was slightly deflected, hence why it ended right in the corner
Was wondering if anyone else saw that. None of the commentators on my feed picked up on it
the bad: another game that passed gabriel jesus by. sterling had a point to prove, and instead he looked like a whining feather being brushed off the ball so easily all the time. martinelli keeps offering almost nothing, good thing we are good at set pieces, because everything he does ends in a corner.
the good: calafiori is an absolute machine, matching saliba’s levels of rolls royce. saka always delivers. that’s about it
If Saliba is a Rolls the Calafiori Is surely a Lamborghini.
Looks amazing, great performance, but you get the feeling one day it’s going to spin you into a tree and catch fire.
Exciting times!
I think he’s more like a tank!
Didn’t GMart score the goal that put us ahead for good, off the back of an amazing back post, off-the-shoulder run off the last defenders?
yes, it only took him 34 shots, 234 backward passes and 737 “dribbles”, and a saka pass that had the ball almost over the line! being complacent with that kind of performance is what led us to our recent mediocre years. i was a big fan of him, that 15 goals season he was just as good as saka, almost world class, but people underestimated him. he’s nowhere near that level now. he played exactly the same as today a few matches ago (without scoring) and people were asking for trossard to replace him. now he scores and his performance… Read more »
Another game where I knew we’d win even after going down a goal . However ??? Jesus looks like he’s looking to leave ? Sulky & miles away from the standard of commitment of the rest of the team
Calafiori is definitely in the ‘high risk-high reward’ bracket of players. But sometimes you need that – think Bayern last season when we were crying out for something dynamic and different. I get the feeling he is going to be a difference maker in pivotal games. But he will make mistakes and I think we’re gonna need to come to terms with that.
Mistakes can be minimized with training. But yeah, it’ll take a while. Intriguing player.
Nice homage to your Archer, blogs.
Anybody else a tad bit concerned re Calafioris pace?
Agreed. He loves to play in the front foot and win it early, and today showed why he does that. Don’t get me wrong, I love the dude, but his exposure could’ve proved more costly a few times.
He’s lucky to have Gabriel behind him to help, but a good team will exploit that
He’s learning the Premier League, he’ll get up to speed on his positioning and it’ll be fine.
Not good from Jesus and Sterling, was a good game for them to contribute especially Jesus. Great result, amazing Saka and Kai, but overall performance should have been better. Need to use these games to improve goal difference (though it’s a little early for that).
Maybe blogs was watching another game as Saka scored one goal and got an assist … not to goals .. havertz is pure gold … Jesus needs to play in the reserves for a it as he has forgot how to play and enjoy football..
I thought Calafiori was very good today. MOTM in the first half before our attack came to life in the second. He’s such an exciting player, if this is the standard he’s at already I can’t wait to see how good he gets after some more time with the team.
RIP Archer ❤️
The evidence today is that you can’t start Jesus and Sterling together. They play in exactly the same manner, head down, try to dribble around or through the defense. Totally distorts the way the team needs to attack. Looks like their roles (particularly Sterling’s) will be to come into a game late after a lead has been established to give starters some down time.
They are both perfect to come on with fresh legs and run at a tired defense. But don’t overlook the fact that they need more minutes than that will provide, and today was a perfect time to get them those.
The depth of the squad is better this season than previous Arteta seasons.
Having impact subs like Martinelli, Trossard and Merino just blows away an opposition in the second half. The evolution of the squad has been impressive
Calafiori was really solid again with some great interceptions and solid with the ball. His only real issue is he has gotten beaten for pace fairly frequently the last two matches with players getting by him to the end line for dangerous crosses.