Arsenal snatch draw with two late goals to keep fading title hopes alive

Arsenal scored two late goals to claim a point against Southampton in a six-goal English Premier League (EPL) thriller at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night.

Goals from Carlos Alvarez, Theo Walcott and Duje Caleta-Car for Southampton were cancelled by strikes by Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, and Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal went behind when a poor pass by Aaron Ramsdale, their goalkeeper, was intercepted by Carlos Alcaraz who slotted into the net to give the basement club the lead.

Southampton doubled their lead with a better-worked goal finished off by Theo Walcott, a former Arsenal striker who did not celebrate against his boyhood club.

The scoreline was halved by Martinelli five minutes later when he volleyed in Saka’s cross. The home side could not restore parity going into the interval.

It was the visitors who restored their two-goal lead in the 67th minute through an unmarked Caleta-Car’s header at the far post.

The Gunners looked down and out but sprang back to life at the end with two goals in two minutes.

They have now failed to win in their last three EPL matches, a sequence that may dent their EPL title bid.

Arsenal remain top of the EPL with 75 points from 32 matches, five more than second-placed Manchester City who have played two games less.