Ødegaard’s late winner and Tierney’s farewell goal lift Arsenal to final-day victory as Raya matches Golden Glove record.
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Martin Odegaard of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammates during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Arsenal FC at St Mary's Stadium on May 25, 2025 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Arsenal closed out their campaign with a 2-1 win over relegated Southampton, a result that sealed a third consecutive second-place Premier League finish and provided a fitting farewell for several departing players.
Kieran Tierney marked his final Arsenal appearance with a well-taken goal just before half-time. The Scottish full-back had joked in training about signing off with a goal. “He mentioned it yesterday, he said ‘I’m going to score in my last game’ and he’s certainly done it,” said Mikel Arteta afterwards.
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Kieran Tierney of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Arsenal FC at St Mary's Stadium on May 25, 2025 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images
Southampton equalised through Ross Stewart, who rose highest at a corner to cancel out Tierney’s strike, but Martin Ødegaard came off the bench to clinch victory with a swerving 25-yard effort in the 89th minute.
It was Arsenal’s first win at St Mary’s since 2021 and the perfect end to a long campaign that spanned 58 matches across four competitions.
Arteta was clear on the importance of ending the season positively. “You want to start your holidays in the next few days with a good feeling, with a good vibe, seeing some smiley faces there,” he said. “It was important to win it, it was important as well to say goodbye to a few players who have left our football club.”
Among those expected to move on are Tierney, Jorginho, and loanee Raheem Sterling, while David Raya, who started in goal, cemented his place in the club’s record books by becoming the first Arsenal goalkeeper to retain the Premier League Golden Glove.
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MAY 25: David Raya of Arsenal poses for a photo with the Premier League Golden Glove award after the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Arsenal FC at St Mary's Stadium on May 25, 2025 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Raya’s 13 clean sheets matched Matz Sels of Nottingham Forest, enough to share the award. The Spaniard was quick to credit the players in front of him. “It’s not just me, it starts from everybody on the pitch and it’s a collective effort,” he said. “Today we played with KT in the centre-back and Zinchenko as a left-back, Kuba as a right centre-back and Ben White as a right-back. That just shows the willingness to keep doing the right things.”
Arteta echoed that praise, singling out goalkeeping coach Iñaki Caña and the wider staff. “A big credit as well for David, Iñaki, Terry [Mason], all the guys that work with them. They fully deserve that,” he said. “That’s something vital in football. We’ve been very, very consistent, so let’s make sure that we’re at the top end of both halves of the pitch in the same manner next season.”
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Martin Odegaard of Arsenal scores his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Arsenal FC at St Mary's Stadium on May 25, 2025 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Though silverware once again eluded Arsenal, Arteta took heart from the consistency his team showed and pointed to the club’s culture as the foundation of their progress. “It’s been a really demanding season, a season that has stretched us all,” he said. “But I think the culture and the mindset that we have at the football club have sustained everything to perform with the resources that we have at the highest level up to the last day, and I think that’s remarkable.”
As he prepares to review the season with club executives next week, Arteta also made sure to highlight the inspiration drawn from Arsenal Women, who lifted the Champions League in Lisbon on Saturday. “We were on the bus journey to Southampton and we were all cheering,” he said. “We’re so proud.”
LISBON, PORTUGAL - MAY 24: Kim Little and Leah Williamson of Arsenal lift the UEFA Women's Champions League trophy after their team's victory in the UEFA Women's Champions League final match between Arsenal WFC and FC Barcelona at Estadio Jose Alvalade on May 24, 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images
Arsenal’s focus will now shift swiftly to the summer, with decisions pending on a number of contracts and reinforcements expected.
Related Posts