Martin Odegaard scored an 89th-minute thunderbolt to help Arsenal end their Premier League campaign on a high, sealing a 2-1 victory over Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium on Sunday.
2024/2025 Premier League
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Match Report
Kieran Tierney, making his final appearance for Arsenal ahead of his return to boyhood club Celtic, gave the Gunners faithful a fitting farewell, breaking the deadlock just before half-time with a clever finish at the near post from Ben White’s low cross.
Gabriel Martinelli twice set up Mikel Merino with pinpoint crosses from the left wing, but the Spaniard failed to test Aaron Ramsdale from close range.
Despite seeing more of the ball, Arsenal failed to extend their advantage and Southampton struck back after the break, courtesy of a towering Ross Stewart header in the 56th minute.
The Saints were much improved in the second half but had to dig deep to resist Arsenal's pressure, with Charlie Taylor blocking a powerful effort from Oleksandr Zinchenko before Bukayo Saka saw a goal ruled out for offside.
But with the match ebbing towards a draw, Odegaard rifled home from 25 yards out to ensure the Gunners signed off with a win that saw them keep hold of second place.
Arsenal end the season with 72 points, one place ahead of Manchester City, while Southampton finished 10 points adrift at the bottom.
Ending the season with all three points pic.twitter.com/AiotOLuvxS
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 25, 2025
Data debrief: Arsenal finish strong runners-up
With their win over Southampton, Arsenal have now finished second for the third consecutive Premier League campaign – the fifth time in top-flight history that a team has been runners-up three years in a row, with Arsenal the first side to do so twice (also 1998-99 to 2000-01).
The Gunners have been a defensively-solid unit this term, having not conceded more than twice in any of their 58 games in all competitions this season.
This marks only the third time in the Premier League era a side has gone through an entire campaign without conceding three or more goals in a match (also Manchester United in 2007-08 and 2017-18).
They ended Sunday’s contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.20, an accurate representation of their dominance, while Southampton could only manage 0.63 xG.
The Saints, meanwhile, are now the first team in Premier League history to lose 30 games in a season, and indeed the first to lose 30 games in a 38-game top-flight campaign.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
2' Close! Merino's header over the bar
8' Josh Kroenke and Mikel Arteta
20' They've denied Southampton a penalty, that is handball from Rice
23' Close. Merino hits the woodwork with his header
26' Match Event for Southampton vs Arsenal
40' Martinelli's first touch is excellent but he can't beat Ramsdale
43' Tierney connects with White's perfect cutback to score! Southampton 0-1 Arsenal
46' Sulemana goes close for Southampton. He has had a few positive runs first half
53' Good effort by Nwaneri but Ramsdale makes the save
56' Southampton score from the corner! Southampton 1-1 Arsenal (Ross Stewart)
63' Highlight from Southampton vs Arsenal
69' Skelly and Havertz
75' Highlight from Southampton vs Arsenal
76' Saka is offside
89' Odegaard lashes an effort in from distance! Southampton 1-2 Arsenal
Line-ups
Southampton XI: Taylor, Ramsdale, Ross Stewart, Flynn Downes, Yukinari Sugawara, Nathan Wood, Welington, L. Ugochukwu, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Mateus Fernandes, Jay Robinson
Subs: McCarthy, Paul Onuachu, Ryan Manning, James Bree, Joe Aribo, Will Smallbone, Cameron Archer, Joachim Kayi Sanda, Jayden Moore
Arsenal XI: Sterling, Partey, Zinchenko, Tierney, David Raya, Merino, Rice, Ben White, Martinelli, Kiwior, Nwaneri
Subs: Neto, Trossard, Jorginho, Ødegaard, Havertz, Saka, Jack Henry-Francis, Lewis-Skelly, Ismeal Kabia