SAINTS took the lead in a commendable effort at the home of title-chasing Arsenal but were eventually condemned to a 3-1 defeat.

Cameron Archer gave Saints a shock lead in the second half with his first Premier League goal for the club, sending the away end into bedlam. 

However, Arsenal were ahead 14 minutes later through Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli, before Bukayo Saka made sure of victory late on. 

The travelling Saints fans will take plenty of encouragement from the performance but their team remain with just one point from seven Premier League outings. 

Russell Martin made four changes to the Saints side which were beaten 3-1 by AFC Bournemouth last time out, although one was enforced.

Ryan Fraser was set to start again but was ruled out through illness, while Charlie Taylor, Lesley Ugochukwu and Maxwel Cornet dropped out.

Martin handed a first appearance of the season to defender Ryan Manning and a first Saints start for striker Ross Stewart at the Emirates. 

Mikel Arteta's unbeaten Gunners outfit were also rotated, with rests from the start for wingers Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.

Saints had never won at Arsenal, who came into this match unbeaten in all competitions this campaign, in the Premier League.

The odds were stacked against Saints, who have conceded more set-piece goals than any other side in the league this season, facing one of the best. 

William Saliba won the first header from a corner inside the first few minutes and Yukinari Sugawara cleared Gabriel Jesus' goalward shot. 

Arsenal then had two quickfire penalty shouts for potential fouls on Raheem Sterling in the first five minutes but neither were given.

German international Kai Havertz had the ball in the net from a corner but the whistle had long gone for a retake - as Saints continued to withstand the pressure.

They were dealt a blow in the 26th minute as Stewart, plagued by injuries for two years, pulled up and was forced off after a quick medical assessment of his right leg.

That was the only negative for Martin, as referee Tony Harrington called time on the first period after a Jorginho shot and another Raheem Sterling penalty appeal went down.

Saints then could have gone ahead when Tyler Dibling ran the Arsenal half and had a shot blocked into the path of Fernandes, who turned the ball onto the roof of the net.

The Portuguese played his part in Saints taking the lead in the 58th minute, winning the ball back and setting Archer away to cut across David Raya from the left. 

That lead lasted just three minutes when Flynn Downes conceded possession in midfield to Saka, who slotted in Havertz for an emphatic finish off the post. 

Arsenal completed the comeback 14 minutes after the opener when Saka crossed perfectly to substitute Martinelli at the back-post.

VAR checked the decision for two minutes before ruling that the Brazilian was in line with Taylor Harwood-Bellis, and offside Mikel Merino was not interfering. 

Dibling went close to a leveller from the edge of the area and Harwood-Bellis hit the crossbar with a header after Martin made an aggressive double-substitution.

Paul Onuachu wowed Saints fans with surprising on-the-ball skills, but it was Saka who made sure of the victory in the last few minutes, snatching play off Sugawara.

Saka's was the 15th goal Saints have conceded in the league so far this season, but they kept it tight for nine minutes of additional time at the Emirates. 

Arsenal: Raya; Partey (Tomiyasu, 84), Gabriel, Saliba, Calafiori; Rice, Jorginho (Merino, 60), Havertz; Saka, Sterling (Martinelli, 60), Jesus (Trossard, 60).

Unused subs: Neto, Kiwior, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly, Oyedeji. 

Saints: Ramsdale; Sugawara (Taylor, 90), Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Walker-Peters, Manning (Armstrong, 74); Downes, Aribo, Dibling, Fernandes (Onuachu, 74); Stewart (Archer, 26).

Unused subs: McCarthy, Taylor, Bree, Ugochukwu, Lallana, Brereton Diaz.

Booked: Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Dibling.

Referee: Tony Harrington.

VAR: Michael Salisbury.