Arsenal secures 400th home win with thrilling comeback

Arsenal remain tight at the top of the Premier League, one point off the pace set by leaders Liverpool. The comeback win against Southampton at the Emirates Stadium this past weekend in Round 7 of the 2024/25 season showed the strength and resilience of Mikel Arteta's team. What was supposed to be an easy encounter had to be dug out by the Gunners to change the course of events in their favor for three important points.

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A Tale of Two Halves for Arsenal

Exceptional," was how Arteta described that first half from Arsenal, who dominated Southampton with a great command of the game. They passed the ball around, occupied spaces well, and created many open-play and set-piece opportunities. "Our counterpress was working really well," said the coach, with much praise for how quickly they were winning the ball back. Yet, from all their efforts in this regard, no goal came, which made for a frustrating end to the half.

But things changed after the break. A more relaxed, even careless start, as Arteta himself described it, allowed Southampton to take the lead with Archer's goal in the 53rd minute. That goal became a wake-up call for Arsenal, though. "We conceded and threw away everything we had done in the first half," Arteta admitted, but that's when the team again connected with the fighting spirit that has defined the Gunners this season.

Martinelli, and the saka show

Arsenal were quick to respond. German forward Kai Havertz leveled the score a few minutes into Archer's goal, which restored the confidence level in the team and created an air of frenzy among the Emirates crowd. Minutes later, it was Gabriel Martinelli who made it 2-1 for Arsenal. The young Brazilian once again proved why he is such an important talent, showing just how key his speed and finishing are to this team.

But it was Bukayo Saka who sealed the win and made it a comfortable finish. The young Englishman found the back of the net in the 88th minute, the standout performer in the match, to record Arsenal's 400th home win in the Premier League. It had been the cherry on top of a solid performance, with once more Saka showing he is ready for a leadership role in the squad.

"That's the maturity and steps players need to take," Arteta said when talking about Saka after the match. "He's earned the right to have that role. He believes in it and has the ability to change and decide games." Technical and a winner, Saka was that sort of player who stood up to be counted when it most mattered. Having such players was what mattered for Arteta if Arsenal are ever to be competitive at the highest possible level.

A wake-up call after conceding

Giving that goal away was definitely a wake-up call for Arsenal. Arteta knows sometimes the Premier League punishes you if you don't finish the game when you have the chances. That is precisely what happened-outplayed and finding space to take the lead, Southampton did just that. It was an important reminder to Arsenal on how to convert your chances.

Arteta was clear: "We need to score three, four, or five goals, and if we don't, the game is open." The Premier League is merciless with teams that waste opportunities, and the way Arsenal found that out was painful. But that response came quick, and such a comeback showed the mental strength of the team.

The challenge of the schedule and injuries

The win did also come at a tough period for the Gunners. The team has been dealing with a crammed schedule since the last international break. On top of that, the injuries have taken their toll, forcing Arteta to be more flexible in their team selection. "It's been a really demanding period, we've had a lot of problems, a lot of injuries, and difficult games," the coach acknowledged.

These setbacks notwithstanding, Arsenal has adapted impressively. Be it against tough opposition or absence of key players, the team remained competitive-and more importantly, they are now unbeaten in 16 games. This sort of resilience could be the difference in such a closely fought Premier League title race.