Dominant Saka shows he can lead Arsenal to the title

A classic case of a goal being the worst thing a lesser team could do. Southampton’s joy in Cameron Archer giving them a shock lead only served to awaken Arsenal, who went from a very flat display to one where they came at the visiting side from all angles.

- MIGUEL DELANEY

That eventually resulted in a rousing 3-1 win, although one that was more difficult than it might have been.

Arsenal ultimately had too much individual quality, specifically in Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka. The German will dominate a lot of the coverage given he equalled Robin van Persie’s record by scoring in seven consecutive games at this stadium. The strike against Southampton was the equaliser, and perhaps the pick of the day’s goals. Havertz shook his hips like Shakira, who wrote the “Waka Waka” song his chant is based on, to deftly create the space for a fine finish off the post. Mikel Arteta spoke of how “something has changed” in Havertz, to go up a level.

It was Saka, however, who dominated the game. He set up Gabriel Martinelli’s match-winner with a brilliant cross before clinching the 3-1 win with a well-deserved strike of his own. The only quibble you could have with his performance was that his set-piece delivery wasn’t perfect in the way it usually is, but that only served to amplify the other impressive parts of his game. Most visible was his sheer range of deliveries beyond his setpieces. The cross for Martinelli was typical of that, showcasing a range of crosses that are almost like a major-winning golfer’s array of shots. Above all, though, there was Saka’s leadership.