ARSENAL staged a dramatic late comeback to deny Saints a massive three points at Emirates Stadium with two goals in the final three minutes of regulation time in a 3-3 draw.

Charly Alcaraz and Theo Walcott gave the visitors a two-goal advantage inside 15 minutes but Gabriel Martinelli had halved that by half-time.

After a change to a five-man defence, substitute Duje Caleta-Car headed in to restore the two-goal lead but it was not enough to survive a 30-minute-long onslaught.

Martin Odegaard scored from outside the area in the 87th minute and Bukayo Saka tapped in three minutes later to leave both teams disappointed in a huge clash at both ends of the table.

Ruben Selles made clear his intended plan of action on Thursday, admitting the aim of pressing the title-chasers high and winning the balls back early.

He picked a team to reflect that with Moi Elyounoussi and Adam Armstrong – in for his first Premier League start since January – replacing Kamaldeen Sulemana and Joe Aribo dropping out.

It looked like a stroke of genius as Alcaraz snuck in to steal the ball from a loose Aaron Ramsdale past and fire back over and into the goal within 30 seconds of Simon Hooper starting the match.

Arsenal’s home support looked to buoy their team with an impressive atmosphere but it was their former man who would again silence them just minutes later.

Alcaraz was the creator, playing a fantastic through ball to Walcott – who thumped past Ramsdale for his second goal of the league season, and a huge one at both ends of the table.

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Martinelli were causing all sorts of problems for the Saints full-backs and both Romain Perraud and Kyle Walker-Peters ended up booked in the first half.

Their persistence paid off as Saka pulled back for Martinelli inside the area to halve the shock lead and reignite their title fight.

Saints survived a further onslaught and could have added a third with an Elyounoussi header and Alcaraz rebound – before Jan Bednarek was forced off through injury.

That was literally, too. The Pole pleaded with the medical team to stay on after a collision with Martinelli but the change was made regardless.

Alcaraz then saved the Saints lead in seven minutes of added time with a phenomenal headed goalline clearance after Gavin Bazunu had denied Gabriel Jesus.

However, in a bizarre half-time move, Selles replaced Alcaraz – who did look on his feet and could barely carry himself off – with Lyanco, and switched to five-at-the-back.

Saints had to soak up untold pressure but it was substitute Caleta-Car who scored the fourth goal on the night and his first league goal – heading in Armel Bella-Kotchap’s nod at the back-post.

Selles threw Kamaldeen and Paul Onuachu on with under 15 minutes to go to try and offer something a little bit different with pressure mounting, as Walcott was given an ovation.

Jesus missed a big chance with a back-post header but Odegaard fired in from just outside the box with only two minutes of regulation time left to make it 2-3.

Saka then stunned the Emirates – no longer at full capacity as Arsenal fans left in their droves when two goals down – slotting in after Bazunu had parried, before an eight-minute added-time onslaught.