Following a couple of disappointing draws, Arsenal will be looking to reignite their Premier League title charge when they welcome bottom club Southampton to the Emirates Stadium on Friday night.
The Gunners remain four points clear of second-placed Manchester City, although Pep Guardiola’s side will have two games in hand after this weekend’s action as the defending champions take part in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday.
At the opposite end of the table, Southampton find themselves two points shy of Leicester City and four points from safety. Having won just six of their 31 league encounters this term, the Saints are staring relegation in the face, with only seven games left to save their season.
Arsenal head into Friday’s showdown on the back of successive 2-2 draws, having taken 2-0 leads against Liverpool and West Ham United before dropping points on both occasions. Still, the Gunners remain unbeaten in nine Premier League outings, with a seven-game winning streak preceding the recent draws.
In terms of the bigger picture, Mikel Arteta’s men have lost just three of their 31 league matches this season, picking up 23 wins and five draws in the process. They have also suffered a solitary defeat in 15 home league games this term, securing 12 victories along the way.
Although Bukayo Saka missed a penalty in Sunday’s draw with West Ham, the 21-year-old has been immense throughout the campaign, racking up 13 goals and 10 assists across all competitions. Meanwhile, Gabriel Martinelli has bagged 14 goals and six assists, with Martin Odegaard contributing 11 goals and eight assists.
On the flip side, Southampton’s struggles continued with a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend. Ruben Selles’ side have now lost each of their last three matches, with two draws and four defeats coming in their previous six outings.
Not only have the Saints lost four of their last five Premier League games, but they have also lost eight of their previous 12, with 14 defeats coming in their past 19 league outings. To make matters worse for Southampton, they have failed to score a single goal across their previous three away matches.
That said, Southampton can take confidence from October’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal at St. Mary’s. When you look at the broader head-to-head record, however, you will see that Southampton have managed to win just two of their last 14 league meetings with the Gunners.
Arsenal will be without the injured trio of William Saliba, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elney on Friday, while Oleksandr Zinchenko is a doubt. Southampton, on the other hand, will be without Che Adams, Mohamed Salisu, Mislav Orsic and Juan Larios, while Arsenal loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles is unable to face his parent club.
Fans in the UK can watch the match on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and via the Sky Go app.
Expert Insight: Friday’s clash provides Arsenal with the ideal opportunity to forget about recent dropped points and rekindle their title bid. Having scored at least three goals in each of their last four Premier League victories at the Emirates, the Gunners should make light work of lowly Southampton, who are on course to suffer a fifth defeat in six outings.
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