Arsenal duo match 16-year Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney record
There weren't too many positives for Arsenal to take from their 3-3 draw with Southampton on Friday night.
The Gunners were playing catch-up from the first minute when they gifted the Saints the lead through Carlos Alcaraz before Theo Walcott made it 2-0.
Gabriel Martinelli halved the deficit before Duje Caleta-Car restored Southampton's two-goal lead, only for Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka to strike late and earn Mikel Arteta's side a point.
They badly needed all three but there was a little piece of history for Arsenal duo Martinelli and Saka to celebrate.
Saka assisted Martinelli for Arsenal's first goal on Friday, a strike which brought up 20 goal involvements in the league for the Brazilian. Saka had previously hit that mark, making them the second pair of teammates aged 21 and under to each record 20+ goal involvements in one Premier League campaign.
The first pair? Manchester United legends Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, who set the record in 2006/07. The Red Devils won the Premier League title that season but Arsenal will find it tough to emulate that success this season.
Player (Season) | Team | Games | Goals | Assists |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wayne Rooney (2006/07) | Man Utd | 35 | 14 | 12 |
Cristiano Ronaldo (2006/07) | Man Utd | 34 | 17 | 8 |
Bukayo Saka (2022/23) | Arsenal | 32 | 13 | 11 |
Gabriel Martinelli (2022/23) | Arsenal | 32 | 15 | 5 |
Friday's draw was their third consecutive slip-up following trips to Liverpool and West Ham and their visit to Manchester City on Wednesday is now all the more important.
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21-year-old Martinelli has outdone his 2021/22 season in style this year, with his 15 Premier League goals already this term nine more than he managed last time out. Saka, meanwhile, has also surpassed his previous best (11) to sit on 13.
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On this edition of The Chronicles of a Gooner, part of the 90min podcast network, Harry Symeou looks back on Arsenal 3-3 Southampton.
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