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Goals from Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka, and Alexandre Lacazette helped Arsenal complete a 3-1 comeback victory over Southampton at the St Mary's Stadium on Sunday.
The big news in the buildup to the clash was the absence of club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang once again due to 'personal issues'.
Head coach Mikel Arteta made two changes from the side that comfortably dispatched Newcastle United last time out, with Nicolas Pepe and Hector Bellerin coming in for Aubameyang and Kieran Tierney.
Arsenal fashioned the first chance of the game when Lacazette was played though by Granit Xhaka in the first minute, but Alex MacCarthy was quick off his line to save a certain goal. However, the Frenchman should have done better.
Two minutes later, the hosts went ahead through Stuart Armstong, with the Southampton midfielder scoring on the volley from a James Ward-Prowse corner kick.
However, Arsenal were not behind for long as Pepe showed great technique to level the scores after he had been played in by Xhaka.
The rest of the first half was played at an upbeat tempo, with both sides fashioning good chances, but the two goalkeepers proved equal to the task.
With the game looking likely to be level at the break, a brilliant sequence of play helped Arsenal take the lead in the 38th minute.
A killer through pass by Lacazette split the Southampton defence, allowing Saka to run straight at MacCarthy.
The Arsenal forward showed great composure to round the goalkeeper, before slotting a right-footed shot into an empty net to send the visitors into a half-time lead.
The second half saw the hosts up the tempo, with good chances falling to Danny Ings and Theo Walcott. However, Bernd Leno proved up to the task for everything thrown at him.
Arsenal made sure of the result when Lacazette bundled the ball over the line after an excellent centre by Saka. The goal came at the expense of him smashing his leg against the post but he would not have cared much.
The victory moves the Gunners up to eighth on the Premier League table and here, we shall be having a rundown of five talking points from the fixture.
#5 Arsenal enact revenge for FA Cup ouster
Arsenal saw their FA Cup defence end at the 4th round, when a first half own-goal by Gabriel Magalhaes condemned them to a defeat at St Mary's.
That loss came just four days ago, and the Gunners would have had revenge on their mind heading into the weekend's Premier League fixture.
When Armstrong put the hosts ahead inside three minutes, it might have seemed like a case of lightning striking twice in the space of a few days.
However, a resilient fightback form the Emirates outfit ensured that they took all three points back to north London.
It also saw the Gunners avenge their FA Cup defeat on Saturday, and fans of the club will be hoping that things get progressively better from here.
#4 Southampton's recent poor run in the league continue
A good start to the season saw Southampton soar up the table, with the highpoint coming when the Saints topped the standings for the first time in 32 years after a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in November.
However, Ralph Hasenhuttl's side have failed to match their early-season form and came into the clash with Arsenal on a run of just one win from their last six Premier League games.
Credit to the Hampshire side for going toe-to-toe with the Gunners, but despite giving their all, they ended up on the losing side.
The defeat means that they failed to usurp their nearest rivals on the table and remain in 11th spot. They could lose further ground on the table at the conclusion of the gameweek, which is a far cry from the early season highs.
#3 Arsenal continue their good run of form
Just few weeks ago, Arsenal were seemingly in crisis, with a run of just one win from 10 games seeing them plummet down to the relegation places.
However, a 3-1 victory over Chelsea on Boxing day has prompted a good sequence that has seen the Gunners go unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games.
Six of those matches ended in a victory for Mikel Arteta's men, with the sole stalemate coming in a dour goalless draw at home to Crystal Palace.
The victory over Southampton was achieved without two key first-teamers and suddenly, a season that was in danger of sliding into chaos definitely has a lot of promise.
It was a perfect way to prepare for the visit of Manchester United to the Emirates this weekend.
#2 Arsenal sweating on Thomas Partey's fitness
Thomas Partey's Arsenal career has so far been plagued by injuries, with a hip problem seeing him miss eight Premier League games.
However, the former Atletico Madrid man has shown his quality whenever he has played, and once again, he gave a solid display against Southampton.
In his time on the field, the 27-year-old made two tackles and completed two dribbles, while he also had a pass completion ratio of 93.1% - the most for anybody who played at least 60 minutes in the game.
His partnership with Granit Xhaka at the base of midfield also seems to lift the Swiss international's game.
However, the Ghana international limped off in the 78th minute with what appeared to be a muscle problem.
This is far from an ideal situation for Arsenal, especially considering that youngster Emile Smith-Rowe had to be substituted for a similar issue.
Although there has been no official word on the severity of Thomas Partey's injury, Arteta will be hoping the midfielder is fit in time for Manchester United's visit on Saturday.
#1 Bukayo Saka steps up to the plate once again
Bukayo Saka has had a stratospheric growth since making his first-team debut for Arsenal in November 2018.
Having initially started as a left-back, the 19-year-old has proved his mettle further up the field and is now an indisputable key member of the Gunners' starting lineup.
His form has seen him become established on the international scene with England, and it is not out of place to state that big things are expected of Saka.
He signed a new long-term deal with Arsenal last July and has gone on to repay the faith in him with his performances this season.
Against Southampton, Saka starred with a goal and an assist, while he also made two key passes and completed two dribbles.
Saka showed excellent technique for his two goal involvements, with his composure to round MacCarthy for the first goal belying his age. His pristine delivery for Lacazette's goal also underlined his awareness and creative prowess.
His first half strike takes him to five league goals for the season, more than all other teenagers in the Premier League combined (four).
Factor in the seven assists Bukayo Saka has provided in the top-flight of English football this term, and you understand why Arsenal fans are giddy with excitement over what the future holds.
