Arsenal v Southampton | News & Predicted Lineup Against the Saints

Arteta and his team will be relieved to be back at home after abysmal performances in the last 2 away fixtures. Arsenal will host 16th placed Southampton this weekend at the Emirates. After 3 losses in 4 games, Arteta will be looking for positive reactions from his players.

The hosts are 4 points behind fourth-placed West Ham. With only 4 league games to go for the half of the season, the match against Southampton is even more vital for Arsenal, as they would want to stay as close as possible to the Champions League spots at the turn of the year. Ironically, the in-form West Ham United are next at home.

Luckily for the home fans, their team’s results at the Emirates are a pleasing sight this season. So far this season, the Gunners have lost just 1 league game (against Chelsea) at home out of 7 while winning 5. Moreover, their current form at home is pretty good, having won 3 consecutive league games.

Southampton vs Arsenal — Image Obtained via Sky Sports

However, this week’s opponent, Southampton, have played impressive football despite their poor table position. If we look at the results for both the teams, the North London club have lost matches with an average margin of 2.7, while the winning margin is 1.7. Meanwhile, the Saints have shown better resistance in their losses, their average defeat margin is 2 goals (Only Liverpool have won 4-0). And also, they have drawn matches against stronger oppositions like Manchester City and Manchester United, but their away record is a bit of worry for them.

Arsenal managed a 3-1 victory against Southampton in their last Premier League meeting, at St Mary’s. Ralph Hasenhüttl’s men played out a 1-1 draw against the Gunners in North London around this time last year but managed to outplay and beat them in the FA Cup fifth round. Nevertheless, the Gunners have never lost to the Saints at home in the Premier League, which is a pretty daunting record to break.

Arteta will be looking to play attacking football at the Emirates on Saturday, with more possession as well. Injuries to Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli were worrisome, but the Brazilian has been deemed fit for Saturday.

Formation (4-2-3-1):

Arsenal might change their formations as and when required during the match, from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-3 set up while playing against Southampton.

Goalkeeper

Aaron Ramsdale (GK): The 2 time Player of the Month for Arsenal will be oozing with confidence. Ramsdale played his part well in all the matches, including Liverpool and United, the goals conceded were due to the unsettled defence. He will be determined to get a clean sheet and marshal his defenders accordingly.

Defence:

Takehiro Tomiyasu (RB): High intensity and tireless performer for the Gunners, he will be keeping his place in the starting lineup. He needs to balance out between the attack and defence against Southampton.

Ben White (CB): Ben White needs to be more focused and determined to extract any kind of positive result from this game.

Gabriel (CB): The Brazilian must have been disappointed with the Everton loss and will be looking to make amends with a strong performance against on Saturday.

Tierney (LB): Tierney left the field and the Gunners lost the match against Everton. Unfortunately, the Scottish left-back was the only attacking threat against the Merseysiders last week. His selection is a no-brainer to ensure that Arsenal won’t drop any more points.

Midfield:

Granit Xhaka (CM): Xhaka performed well on Tuesday, considering his early return from injury and direct entry into the match. He will be a key component against the Saints and play a major role in controlling the pace of the game.

Albert Sambi Lokonga (CM): Lokonga will be preferred as a replacement for Partey. Arteta is yet to fixate on a dependable midfield combination, this game will be a great chance to test Loknga pairing with Xhaka.

Bukayo Saka (RM): Arteta’s preferred choice on the right-flank has been Saka all along this season, who will also be eager to find the back of the net after missing out in the last 2 games.

Martin Odegaard (AM): The Norwegian midfielder has played well in the previous 2 Premier League games, with one goal each against Everton and United. The coach will be looking for a similar performance this weekend from the player.

Aubameyang (LM): Aubameyang was dropped against Everton for his poor form, but injuries to Martinelli and ESR will hand him a place in the starting lineup again. The Gabonese forward must be sharp and accurate in front of the goal to keep his position in the team.

Attack:

Alexandre Lacazette (ST): The Frenchman will retain his number 9 spot in the team, despite his poor show against Everton. But regardless of his transfer speculations, he should deliver as a quality striker. Must be alert for the passes.

Predicted Southampton vs Arsenal Score:

Arsenal have quality players on the field but those players lack the attacking edge in front of the goal. Although both the strikers are in dreadful form, Southampton will be without their key players. So, Arsenal would win 1-0.

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