ARS vs SOU
Match Centre
ARS vs SOU As It Happened
Key moments so far
- Arsenal score twice in two minutes to salvage a point
- Saints led 3-1 heading into the 88th minute
- Alcaraz, Walcott and Ćaleta-Car on target for Saints
- Martinelli, Ødegaard and Saka score for Arsenal
FULL TIME: Arsenal 3-3 Southampton
It's a devastating finale for Saints, who led 3-1 heading into the final few moments. A brave display on the road with goals from Charly Alcaraz, Theo Walcott and Duje Ćaleta-Car, but the league leaders rallied and staged an unlikely late comeback, forcing a share of the spoils that both sides might look back on at the end of the season as two points dropped.
22.06Partey lashes over
Partey goes for goal from long range and it's a long way off target. Into the closing moments...
Nelson shot deflected wide
Arsenal are pressing for a winner, as Nelson's shot is blocked by Ward-Prowse and flashes just wide.
Trossard hits the bar
Trossard tries his luck from the edge of the box and his effort skims off the top of the crossbar.
Eight minutes added on
There's eight minutes additional time to be added on here.
Saka levels.
Nelson's shot is saved by Bazunu, but it only falls to Saka who is on hand to convert from 10 yards. Heartbreaking for Saints.
GOAL
Bukayo Saka (90’) | 3 – 3
One back.
It's going to be a nervy ending. Ødegaard curls an unstoppable strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
GOAL
Martin Ødegaard (88’) | 2 – 3
Southampton substitution: Ibrahima Diallo replaces Roméo Lavia
Some shift from Roméo!
Arsenal substitution: Reiss Nelson replaces Gabriel Teodoro Martinelli Silva
A late change for Arsenal.
Jesus can't convert
Saka's cross picks out Jesus in the box, but the Brazilian can't get make proper contact with his head and Bazunu remains untested.
DCC 🤩
What a time to get your first Premier League goal.
Bodies on the line 💪
Great defending from Saints, as Ward-Prowse gets a vital block inside the box. Bodies being thrown on the line as we approach the final 10 minutes.
Southampton substitution: Paul Onuachu replaces Adam Armstrong
A change up top.
Southampton substitution: Kamaldeen Sulemana replaces Theo Walcott
Well played, Theo!
Yellow Card for Adam Armstrong (Southampton)
A booking for Adam Armstrong after delaying an Arsenal free-kick from being taken.
Arsenal substitution: Eddie Nketiah replaces Oleksandr Zinchenko
An attacking change from the hosts.
Jesus volleys over
Almost an instant response as Martinelli loops a clever ball over the top for Jesus, but his volley while stretching is over the bar.
IT'S THREE!
Can you believe it! James Ward-Prowse's corner is flicked on to the back post, where Ćaleta-Car is completely free to head home from close range!
GOOOAL!!!
Duje Ćaleta-Car (66’) | 1 – 3
Dig deep, lads 💪
Inside the final half an hour in London.
Saka hits the post
Saka's shot comes off the post, but the linesman's flag is up as Martinelli took the ball out of play in the build up.
Bauznu alert
It's great goalkeeping, as Bazunu is alert to dive on a loose ball inside his six yard box with Jesus lurking.
Arsenal substitution: Leandro Trossard replaces Fábio Daniel Ferreira Vieira
A first substitution for the hosts.
Lyanco gets a vital touch
It's great defending from the Brazilian, who gets a touch to a cross that was destined for Vieira at the back post.
Gunning for an equaliser
Saints are camped in their own half and the hosts are banging on the door. However, the visitors are standing firm for the time being.
Jesus goes down looking for a penalty
The Arsenal striker goes down in the box after a coming together with Ćaleta-Car, but nothing is given and VAR isn't interested.
Change in shape
The half time switch sees Saints switch to a back five, with Lyanco alongside Bella-Kotchap and Ćaleta-Car in defence.
Southampton substitution: Lyanco replaces Carlos Alcaraz
A tactical change at the break, as Lyanco replaces Alcaraz.
Back to it!
Keep this up, lads!
The first half action 📸
A big performance in the opening 45 minutes.
HALF TIME: Arsenal 1-2 Southampton
And breathe! Saints are halfway to a huge three points in their bid for survival. Charly Alcaraz silenced the Emirates Stadium with just 27 seconds on the clock, before Theo Walcott haunted his former employers with a second after just 14 minutes. Gabriel Martinelli halved the deficit, but the Gunners were unable to breakdown a resolute Saints side before the half time whistle.
Yellow Card for Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal)
A first card for Arsenal, as Zinchenko fouls Walker-Peters.
Sensational, Charly!
Alcaraz clears a header off the line! Saka's corner is glanced on by White, but Alcaraz is perfectly positioned on the line to clear away the danger with Bazunu beaten.
Bazunu denies Jesus
Saka spots the run of Jesus and rolls the ball through. Bazunu races off of his line, narrows the angle, and blocks Jesus's shot from a tight angle with his chest.
Gabriel heads over
Vieira's deep cross finds Gabriel at the back post, but his header is over the bar.
Seven minutes of additional time
There's plenty of football left to play in this half.
Martinelli's free-kick drifts wide
Martinelli whips a wide free-kick towards the back post and it drifts a few yards wide.
Yellow Card for Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton)
It's another booking, as Walker-peters pulls down Martinelli.
Southampton substitution: Duje Ćaleta-Car replaces Jan Bednarek
An enforced first change of the night.
He can't continue...
Ćaleta-Car is going to replace Bednarek, who is going to be replaced as a precaution having sustained a head injury.
Bednarek lands awkwardly
Jan Bednarek is down after falling awkwardly from a challenge with Martinelli.
Vieira stays down...
The Arsenal midfielder stays down after being on the receiving end of a firm, but fair, slide tackle from Kyle Walker-Peters.
Yellow Card for Romain Perraud (Southampton)
Perraud goes into the book for bringing down Saka.
Walcott resumes - and shoots!
The winger is back on and immediately returns to the action as his speculative strike from 25 yards is held by Ramsdale.
Walcott down for Saints
One of our goal scorers is down and requires treatment. It gives Rubén Sellés the chance to speak to the rest of the team.
Ødegaard wastes a free header
Martinelli swings in a cross from the left which finds Ødegaard unmarked, but his header is over the bar.
Yellow Card for Carlos Alcaraz (Southampton)
The Saints attacker picks up a card to go with his goal and assist!
Almost a third! 😱
Elyounoussi's header is palmed back into a dangerous area by Ramsdale, but the keeper makes amends by scooping Alcaraz's follow up shot over the bar for a corner.
Arsenal assault
Unsurprisingly, the hosts are looking to quickly restore parity. Saints are having to dig in.
Martinelli reduces the deficit
Saka gets to the byline and clips a cross towards the penalty spot, where Martinelli is on hand to power a strike into the back of the net.
GOAL
Gabriel Teodoro Martinelli Silva (20’) | 1 – 2
Sensational Saints 😇
What a start at Emirates Stadium!
Zinchenko fires across goal
The Arsenal full-back drills in a dangerous low cross from the left, but it evades everyone in the middle and goes out for a goal kick.
THEOOOOOOOO! 🙌
Saints are in dreamland! Alcaraz turns provider as he slides a brilliant through ball for Walcott, who dispatches a first-time finish past Ramsdale into the bottom corner against his former club!
GOOOAL!!!
Theo Walcott (14’) | 0 – 2
Riding the storm ⛈
After falling behind early on the hosts really pressed for a quick equaliser, but Saints have come back into the game in the last few minutes.
Zinchenko blasts over
Martinelli weaves along the byline before blasting across goal, forcing Bazunu to parry to the edge of the box, where Zinchenko can only fire a shot high over the crossbar with a first-time effort.
Ødegaard into the side netting
Partey releases the ball into the path of Ødegaard inside the box, but the Norwegian's shot from a tight angle is into the side of the goal.
VAMOS! 🙌
What. A. Start!
Martinelli threatens
Martinelli drives through the heart of Saints and races into the box, but Bella-Kotchap does enough to get between the ball and player, shadowing the ball out for a goal kick.
WHAT A START!!!! 🤩
Only 27 seconds on the clock! Wow! Ramsdale passes the ball straight to Alcaraz 20 yards from goal, with the Argentine taking a touch before whipping a strike into the bottom corner. What a dream start!
GOOOAL!!!
Carlos Alcaraz (1’) | 0 – 1
Up and running!
We get under way in the capital. Come on, Saints!
Here come the teams!
Under the lights at Emirates Stadium, the two teams walk out onto the pitch, with Saints in their blue away kit for the clash against the league leaders.
19.58🔟 minutes to go!
The warm-ups are done. We're fast approaching kick off in North London!
19.50Arma is 🔙
Adam Armstrong is making his first appearance since coming off the bench in the 0-0 draw at Man United on the 12th March.
19.37Arriving at Arsenal 📍
The Saints squad arrive at Emirates Stadium ahead of Friday night football.
19.26Three changes for Saints 🔄
The Saints starting line-up sees Ainsley Maitland-Niles (ineligible), Joe Aribo and Kamaldeen Sulemana drop out, as Romain Perraud, Mohamed Elyounoussi and Adam Armstrong come in.
19.04Arsenal team confirmed
Starting XI: Ramsdale, White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Vieira, Partey, Ødegaard, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Subs: Turner, Kiwior, Tierney, Jorginho, Nelson, Walters, Trossard, Smith Rowe, Nketiah.
19.00Southampton team confirmed 😇
Starting XI: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap, Perraud, Ward-Prowse, Lavia, Walcott, Elyounoussi, Alcaraz, A. Armstrong.
Subs: McCarthy, Lyanco, Ćaleta-Car, Diallo, S. Armstrong, Aribo, Oršić, Kamaldeen, Onuachu.
19.00The view from the tunnel 🔭
We're behind the scenes at the Emirates Stadium, with the all-important team news now just 20 minutes away...
18.40Matching the table toppers 🤝
Cast your mind back to October when Saints proved a match for Arsenal with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with tonight's opponents at St Mary's.
17.5117.43we have been playing the teams at the top and we have shown we are competitive. i don't expect anything different for this game."
rubén selléssaints have lost only once in matches against chelsea, man united, tottenham and man city since he took over as manager
Sellés discusses Arsenal test 🎙
Watch part one of Rubén Sellés's pre-match press conference, as the manager looked ahead to the challenge of facing the Premier League leaders on their home turf.
17.23From the vault 🎞
Jo Tessem was on target for Southampton when they managed a 1-1 draw at Highbury in 2002.
16.26Maitland-Niles ❌
Saints will be without Ainsley Maitland-Niles this evening, with the full-back ineligible to face his parent club. Ché Adams (calf), Mohammed Salisu (pelvis) and Juan Larios (hamstring) remain unavailable, while Tino Livramento continues to build match fitness with the B team after his return from an ACL injury.
16.2516.22If we play our game we have options to win the game. We know what we can do if we can keep the performance as we did in the first half against Man City."
Rubén Selléssouthampton fc manager
Friday night football 🤩
The weekend starts here for Saints, with a trip to league-leaders Arsenal. Both sides will be desperate for the three points for contrasting reasons; the Gunners, without a win in two, will want to maintain their narrow lead over Manchester City in the title race, while Southampton, winless in six, need a victory to reignite their survival hopes. Kicking off at 8pm BST, stick with us for all the pre-match build up and live match updates. COYS! 😇
16.20ARS vs SOU Line Ups
Arsenal
| 1 |
Aaron Ramsdale (GK)
|
|---|---|
| 16 |
Rob Holding
|
| 4 |
Ben White
|
| 35 |
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Eddie Nketiah (72′)
|
| 6 |
Gabriel Magalhães
|
| 21 |
Fábio Vieira
Leandro Trossard (57′)
|
| 5 |
Thomas Partey
|
| 8 |
Martin Ødegaard (C)
|
| 11 |
Gabriel Martinelli
Reiss Nelson (85′)
|
| 9 |
Gabriel Jesus
|
| 7 |
Bukayo Saka
|
Substitutes
| 20 |
Jorginho |
|---|---|
| 15 |
Jakub Kiwior |
| 19 |
Leandro Trossard |
| 97 |
Reuell Walters |
| 3 |
Kieran Tierney |
| 24 |
Reiss Nelson |
| 14 |
Eddie Nketiah |
| 10 |
Emile Smith Rowe |
| 30 |
Matt Turner |
Southampton
| 31 |
Gavin Bazunu (GK)
|
|---|---|
| 37 |
Armel Bella-Kotchap
|
| 2 |
Kyle Walker-Peters
|
| 35 |
Jan Bednarek
Duje Caleta-Car (40′)
|
| 15 |
Romain Perraud
|
| 45 |
Roméo Lavia
Ibrahima Diallo (86′)
|
| 24 |
Mohamed Elyounoussi
|
| 8 |
James Ward-Prowse (C)
|
| 9 |
Adam Armstrong
Paul Onuachu (77′)
|
| 32 |
Theo Walcott
Kamaldeen Sulemana (77′)
|
| 26 |
Carlos Alcaraz
Lyanco (45′)
|
Substitutes
| 1 |
Alex McCarthy |
|---|---|
| 20 |
Kamaldeen Sulemana |
| 11 |
Mislav Orsic |
| 17 |
Stuart Armstrong |
| 12 |
Paul Onuachu |
| 6 |
Duje Caleta-Car |
| 7 |
Joe Aribo |
| 4 |
Lyanco |
| 27 |
Ibrahima Diallo |
ARS vs SOU Match Stats
Head to Head Stats
-
Possession (%)7426
-
Shots258
-
Shots on target66
-
Corners72
-
Passes Complete577153
