Arsenal’s pursuit of Premier League title and Southampton will go toe to toe on Saturday, with both clubs desperate to get three points to stay in touch at the top of the table. The Gunners are already having to settle for playing a game of catch up as Liverpool and Manchester City have started the season in blistering form and are already four points ahead, with the latter the only side in the division to take six wins from six. A trip to face the champions can often turn into another fruitless effort in order to close the gap, so Mikel Arteta’s side must make sure not to lose any ground here whilst one of the top two drop points. Aaron Ramsdale makes his swift return to north London as he starts between the sticks for the Saints, who arrive with disappointing form, particularly away from home. The ex-Gunners signed a new deal at the beginning of the season before losing his spot to David Raya and being sold for £25million in a summer move. Arsenal headed to St Mary’s in the 2023/24 title race and claimed a superb 4-0 victory, before a 5-0 thrashing took place in March for the Saints against the same side. Who’ll get the better of this fixture as the players in red and white this time around? Time to find out. Where to watch Arsenal vs Southampton TV channel: The game won’t be live in the UK due to the Saturday 3pm blackout. Free highlights: Fans can watch them with the Sky Sports app and YouTube channel from 5:15 PM. Additionally, fans can see the action on Saturday night’s BBC One Match of the Day programme, airing at 10:30 PM.
Team News
Arsenal: White and Timber have recovered well from recent injuries and are likely to be involved in the game. White missed matches against Leicester and PSG, Timber was taken off on half-time against PSG after suffering a knock. Arteta assures both are close to full fitness; Tomiyasu is also working hard to be available for his first appearance this season. Mikel Merino made his Arsenal debut against PSG and might also see his first Premier League minutes here. It is expected that Zinchenko will return after the international break, while perpetually injured Odegaard remains distant from a first-team return.
Southampton: Ramsdale will likely find the spotlight as he returns to face his former club, hoping to help Southampton secure their first win of the season. Vital will be the squad’s performance that will change the pacing of the Saints’ awful form.
Head-to-Head Results
The previous encounters between Arsenal and Southampton have always been thrilling, featuring two tense draws-a 1-1, and another intensely fought 3-3. Southampton has time and again been a tricky opponent to Arsenal; however, this time around, the Gunners will have their eyes set on maximum points to keep themselves from faltering in the pursuit of the title.
Having seen the struggles of Southampton thus far, management will agree that it will be up to Arsenal to keep their focus and stay vigilant enough to sidestep the trap of any potential upsets, as the odds are slanted heavily in favor of the Gunners to bag the full three points.
