Preview: Arsenal V Southampton

Arsenal - Southampton

Preview: Arsenal V Southampton 

By Jack Lacey-Hatton

After a difficult start to the week at Goodison Park on Monday night, Arsenal need to recover quickly when they host Southampton at the Emirates on Saturday.

The last minute loss to Everton felt harsh but Mikel Arteta’s team failed once again kill the game off when in the lead, while the outcome could have been very different had Eddie Nketiah not hit the post at 1-1.

Even so, it was a below-par display and although Southampton have struggled recently, Arsenal will need to step things up to get a better result this weekend.

Being back at home should bring some comfort. 

The Gunners have excelled at the Emirates recently, winning seven from their last eight in all competitions on home soil, including three in a row in the Premier League.

Visitors Southampton are also wounded after throwing away three points in the dying seconds of their game against Brighton, after Neal Maupay fired home an equaliser. 

The Saints are now just two places above the Premier League relegation zone, albeit with a comfortable gap of six points to 18th-placed Burnley.

Despite back-to-back defeats on the road, Arsenal are only four points off West Ham, who currently sit in the fourth and final Champions League spot. 

Team News

Gabriel Martinelli went off with a hamstring strain in the defeat at Everton and is likely to miss Saturday’s game. 

It could be better news for Emile Smith Rowe, who missed the trip to Merseyside entirely with a groin problem.

Providing he continues to progress in training, the England midfielder will hopefully be involved at some stage, even if he has to start from the bench. 

Bernd Leno is still out with a groin injury, so won’t provide the back-up to goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale for this one.

After Arteta rested Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, at least from the starting XI, last time out we can expect to see the skipper lead the line from the off against the Saints. 

Sead Kolasinac remains on the sidelines with a longer-term ankle injury and no timeframe has been set for his return so far. 


Recent record 

Southampton haven’t been particularly painful opponents for the Gunners historically.

Arsenal have won 58 in the all-time head-to-head record, with the Saints coming out on top on 22 occasions.

Last season’s clashes brought mixed fortunes, however, with a 1-1 draw in the last meeting between the two at the Emirates. 

Theo Walcott scored on his return to the club before Aubameyang rescued a point with a smart finish in the 52nd minute. 

The sides then met twice on the south coast in one week at the end of January, the first of which saw a disappointing 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup.

Arteta’s team got revenge days later when goals from Nicholas Pepe, Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette saw them take three points back to North London in a 3-1 success.  

Photo credit: Getty Images

Popular posts from this blog

What have we learned from Arsenal's pre-season so far?

Image
  Arsenal – what have we learned from pre-season? By Jack Lacey-Hatton It only feels five minutes since Euro 2020, but incredibly we are just one week away from the new Premier League season starting. Arsenal will travel to newly promoted Brentford for a London derby in front of a noisy crowd next Friday night, not the easiest of starts to the new campaign. But what sort of shape are Mikel Arteta’s side in, going into what could be a defining season for the manager? We took a close look at what we have learnt from the pre-season period and what kind of shape the squad are in.   The new signings are ready to go It has been a mixed transfer window so far. Some fans would have expected more both leaving and arriving at the Emirates stadium over the summer. But positives can be taken - Ben White has arrived from Brighton for £50million, and highly-rated full back Nuno Tavares has come in from Benfica. Albert Sambi Lokonga completes the 2021 summer singings so far. Cruc...
Read more

Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves

Image
Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves By Jonny Bray It is hard to believe that Ruben Neves is still only 25-years-old.   It feels as if the Portuguese international has been tipped for big things for nearly a decade now.  With the midfielder out of contract in 2023, it appears his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers could be coming to an end.  Understandably, with a player like Neves on offer for a reduced price, clubs around Europe are queueing up to secure the international's signature.  So, after all this time, should Arsenal move for Ruben Neves now, or is it time for the Gunners to turn their attention to a new target?  What would he bring?  Arsenal do not have enough defensive midfielders.  Martin Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka give Mikel Arteta plenty of midfield options going forward, but the Gunners have been found lacking when out of possession this season. Thomas Partey has been in and out of the side due to injuries, a fact that has not hel...
Read more

Where will Arsenal finish this season?

Image
Where will Arsenal finish this season? By Alec McQuarrie Arsenal have made steady improvement over the last few seasons under Mikel Arteta. After finishing 8th in his debut season, the Spaniard oversaw a five-point improvement in his first full campaign.  And last year an eight-point leap followed, which was unfortunately not enough to pip Tottenham to fourth place.  Cruelly, the 69 points accumulated would have been enough to seal Champions League qualification in the previous two seasons.  Looking at the trajectory over the Arteta era, it would be fair to assume a continued improvement this coming season.  After all, with five signings already secured this summer and Alexandre Lacazette the sole first-team player to depart, surely fourth place should be a bare minimum expectation.  Oleksandr Zinchenko offers much-needed cover at left-back and competition for central midfield.  Gabriel Jesus is a proven goalscorer and brings a tireless work-ethic to fulfil...
Read more