Ryan Fraser’s stoppage-time goal extended Southampton’s unbeaten run to seven matches as they defeated a spirited Millwall 1-0 at The Den.
The Lions had been indebted to their goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski, whose heroics looked to have earned them a point in SE16.
But substitute Fraser sent the 3,031 travelling fans into raptures with a late clincher – meaning Russell Martin’s side have taken 17 points from a possible 21.
Fraser’s other goal for Southampton was also a late winner – at Hull on October 21 – while Saints also snatched a point against Preston in added time.
Millwall’s main threat in the opening 45 minutes came from George Saville’s corners and they hit the crossbar from one of them. Jake Cooper nodded Saville’s delivery back across goal and Wes Harding, who had scored in the last two matches, saw his header come back off the woodwork.
Southampton, though, controlled the possession and forced Bialkowski into a number of saves in the first period.
First the Polish goalkeeper tipped over Stuart Armstrong’s shot in the 20th minute, the first notable attempt in the match, and he also pushed away full-blooded strikes by Carlos Alcaraz and Will Smallbone.
Southampton dialled up the pressure at the start of the second half and it needed another excellent save from Bialkowski to deny Stuart Armstrong, who had stormed onto Kyle Walker-Peters’ low cross.
There was more resilient defending by the Lions soon after. Harding blocked Walker-Peters’ low strike while the visitors’ top scorer Adam Armstrong lashed over after Smallbone had bulldozed his way through a couple of challenges inside the box.
Bialkowski continued to frustrate Southampton, repelling Kamaldeen Sulemana’s attempt from a swift counter-attack led by Alcaraz in the 74th minute.
Stuart Armstrong’s skidding shot went narrowly wide of Bialkowski’s left upright before Fraser failed to find the target after Alcaraz’s initial attempt was blocked by Millwall captain Jake Cooper.
Millwall were posing only the most intermittent of threats, although Zian Flemming and Ryan Longman both produced respectable attempts even if they did not force Gavin Bazunu into action.
The influential Alcaraz’s 25-yard free-kick was parried away by Bialkowski in the 84th minute but Fraser had the final say when he slid the ball beyond Bialkowski from a cutback by Adam Armstrong.
Millwall look set to name their new manager next week and caretaker boss Adam Barrett has collected two points from a possible 12. This was a fifth home league loss of the campaign – making for the joint worst home record in the division along with QPR.
Winless Pompey Cannon fodder as Stoke star nets four in Pelach's first victory
Four-goal Tom Cannon fired Stoke City to a 6-1 win over Portsmouth on Wednesday, their first triumph under Narcis Pelach extending Pompey's own wait for a Championship victory.
Stoke entered this encounter at the bet365 Stadium just two points better off than their winless visitors and without reward for the bold decision to replace head coach Steven Schumacher with Pelach last month.
But an explosive display from on-loan Leicester City forward Cannon provided what could be a pivotal victory in the Potters' season.
Cannon scored only three times in all competitions for Leicester last term but bettered that tally inside the opening hour of his fourth start for Stoke.
Portsmouth were on level terms approaching half-time after Mark O'Mahony cancelled out Cannon's opener, but the Republic of Ireland international restored Stoke's lead before Sam Gallagher added a third in first-half stoppage time.
Cannon completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot three minutes after the restart and scored again another three minutes later, with Andrew Moran completing the rout shortly afterwards.
Portsmouth were promoted as League One champions last season but are the only team still without victory in the second tier and saw another struggling side move clear of them on Wednesday as Preston North End beat Watford 3-0.
Watford had been level on points with Sheffield United just outside the play-off places, but the Blades climbed to third with a 1-0 win over Swansea City, while rivals Sheffield Wednesday drew 0-0 with Bristol City.
'This is the year' for Arsenal, says Saka
Bukayo Saka believes this is Arsenal's year to end Manchester City's reign over the Premier League, ahead of winless Southampton visiting the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Arsenal and City are the only unbeaten teams in the Premier League after six matchdays, with both taking 14 points to trail Liverpool by a single point at the summit.
Mikel Arteta's team secured a thrilling 4-2 win over Leicester City last week before seeing off Paris Saint-Germain by a 2-0 scoreline in the Champions League on Tuesday.
With many tipping Arsenal to again challenge City, particularly after the champions lost midfielder Rodri to a serious knee injury, Saka believes the Gunners have a golden opportunity.
"I don't want to put too much pressure on us but I do think that this is the year," Saka told CBS Sports after the win over PSG.
"I think we've been close the last two years and we're getting closer but this hopefully will be the year."
Speaking to Amazon Prime, the 23-year-old later added: "Previous years, I've come runners-up a lot. It's just that spirit in me that I want to win this season and of course, I believe in myself a lot.
"With those two things, it helps. We believe in ourselves, we believe we're a top team. I did tell the boys we have to make a statement when teams are coming to the Emirates."
Southampton have taken just one point from six league games since winning promotion from the Championship, making this the joint-worst start to any league campaign in their history (also one point in the top flight in 1998-99).
They were beaten 3-1 by south coast rivals Bournemouth last time out on Monday, leading defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis to slam their performance levels.
"I think it's just about taking ownership as players, doing your bit and not going inside yourself, not playing a solo game," he said.
"It's just about sticking together... we cannot be 3-0 down with the quality and characters we've got in that group, we cannot be. That's obviously including myself."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arsenal – Kai Havertz
One player who has particularly enjoyed turning out at the Emirates lately is Havertz, who netted against PSG on Tuesday and has also scored six goals in his last six league games on the ground.
He has netted in four successive home Premier League games, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the last player to score in five straight for the Gunners, in September 2019.
Southampton – Aaron Ramsdale
Former Gunners shot-stopper Ramsdale could become the ninth goalkeeper to face Arsenal in the Premier League after previously representing them in the competition.
Only one of the previous eight, Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez, has previously kept a clean sheet in his first such match, doing so in a 3-0 victory at the Emirates in November 2020.
MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN
Southampton have actually caused Arsenal problems lately, going unbeaten through the teams' last three Premier League meetings (one win, two draws), with both of their matches in 2022-23 finishing level – including a 3-3 draw at the Emirates.
However, Saints have visited Arsenal 24 times in the Premier League without ever tasting victory, drawing eight times and losing 16. That is the most any team has visited another in the competition without winning.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 28 home league games against Southampton since a 1-0 defeat in November 1987. Only against Fulham (a current run of 31) have they had a longer unbeaten home run in their league history.
Across 2024-25 and their relegation season in 2022-23, Southampton are now winless in 19 Premier League matches, drawing five and losing 14. Only once in their top-flight history have they endured a longer such run, going 20 games without a victory between August and December 1969.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last 40 Premier League home games against promoted clubs, winning 35 and drawing five. Only Chelsea (43 between 2001 and 2015) and City (41 between 2007 and 2020) have had longer such runs in the competition's history.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Arsenal – 78.5%
Southampton – 8.7%
Draw – 12.8%
Bellingham helps Sunderland to Championship summit, West Brom slip up
Jobe Bellingham's stunning goal helped Sunderland go top of the Championship table as they beat Derby County 2-0, capitalising on West Brom's slip-up against Middlesbrough.
Bellingham got off the mark for 2024-25 with a crashing finish from 25 yards out to put Sunderland ahead shortly before half-time at the Stadium of Light.
Wilson Isidor then tapped home following great work from Romaine Mundle after the break as the Black Cats earned their sixth win from eight league games this term.
While Derby – who missed several chances to get back into the game – sit 13th on nine points, Regis Le Bris' side overtook West Brom to go top of the table on 18.
The Baggies relinquished their position due to a 1-0 home defeat against Middlesbrough, with Hayden Hackney netting the only goal after 73 minutes.
No away team had scored at the Hawthorns in almost six months, but Hackney found the bottom corner with a sweeping finish after taking in Riley McGree's pass for the winner.
Carlos Corberan's men slipped two places to third, with Burnley also overtaking them by beating Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle 1-0 at Turf Moor.
The Clarets needed a 26th-minute Josh Brownhill penalty, awarded for Darko Gyabi's foul on Josh Cullen, to get over the line despite Plymouth not attempting a single shot on target.
Fellow high-flyers Blackburn Rovers, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat of the campaign at Coventry City, who recorded a deeply impressive 3-0 win at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Jake Bidwell, Haji Wright and Brandon Thomas-Asante were on target for last season's FA Cup semi-finalists, who climbed to 16th in the table. Blackburn sit fifth.
Leeds United are level with Blackburn, but have a superior goal difference and sit fourth, after fighting back to draw 1-1 at Norwich City.
Josh Sargent's early penalty gave Norwich the lead over their former boss Daniel Farke, but Largie Ramazani's goal on the hour earned Leeds a point amid a better second-half display.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
