So Mikel Arteta is facing yet another must-win scenario when Southampton visit the Emirates this afternoon. If we win we can hopefully move back up into a place to fight for a European place, but if we lose, the fanbase will be driven further into the depths of despair.
The strange thing about our recent slump is that we have had hardly any injuries this season. We have had no European football so we’ve had much more resting time than our top rivals, but for some reason things are simply not working.
But let’s be positive ahead of the game, as all known form points to Arsenal beating Southampton today.
As for the confirmed team news, the Saints are being forced to bring in an emergency 40 year-old keeper in Willy Caballero due to a keeper crisis, whereas Arsenal have only Emile Smith-Rowe as the one first team regular being assessed before the game, but for some reason we know Arteta will be making changes. Leno and Kolasinac are also doubtful but that won’t change anything. The news that Aubameyang missed training yesterday points to underlying problems in the dressing room, but Arteta was not very forthcoming about what the actual problem was….
But otherwise Arteta can just about field the same team that slumped against Everton, but what changes is he likely to make?
Ramsdale, who is our player of the month for the second month in a row, is certain to start, and I’m sure Arteta will keep faith with White and Gabriel, and Tomiyasu of course. I think Tavares will return as Arteta will continue to rotate them to stay fresh.
Partey played alongside the returning Xhaka at Everton, but I think Lokonga will come back with Partey on the bench.
I think Saka and Odegaard are safe, but I’m hoping that Nketiah comes in with Lacazette to support him up front.
As for my score prediction, I’m expecting to see more confidence in front of the home fans, so I’m going for 3-0 to the Arsenal….
WATCH Arteta’s full pre-match conference…
IF WE LOOSE THIS GAME IT SHOULD BE CURTAINS FOR ARTETA,
I CERTAINLY DON’T WANT US TO LOOSE BUT I DO WANT TO GET RID OF ARTETA,
FED UP WITH HIS BORING TACTICS AND BAD MAN MANAGEMENT WITH PLAYERS,
I THINK HE NEEDS TO SHAKE UP THINGS TODAY AND GET HIS TEAM SELECTION AND TACTICS RIGHT,
I WOULD GO WITH THIS TEAM….
RAMSDALE
TOMI BEN. GAB. TIERNEY
AMN. PARTEY
ESR
SAKA. PEPE. GABBY
Didn’t see you line up Jim before I posted but think we are pretty much thinking the same except I went Tavares and you AMN 👍
Why AMN ? You want an hale end product to progress under Arteta ?! Xhaka is younger, more ceiling, love the club. 😅
Ramsdale
Tomi white Gabriel tierney
Xhaka partey ode
Saka Auba ESR
That is the team I expect Arteta to play ,wouldn’t be my choice at all but would be surprised if there were many changes to that line up .
My preferred line up
Ramsdale
Tomi white Gabriel Tierney
partey Tavares
ESR
Martinelli Pepe saka
Tavarez could be a good choice dan, he can run well with the ball and he has speed…
Arsenal to win 5 1
That score line wouldn’t even give us a plus goal difference. How about 5-0?
What ever happened to White?In the last two games he was dummied and so much was expected of him and the defence.
There are no easy games in the epl even
against lowly teams.
If Arsenal cant beat Saints the pressure on
MA wi be tremendous with the game against West Ham a season defining moment,imho.
Hahahaha stop it!
Start Xhaka again and it’s 2-1 to Southampton 😁
Honestly, what would I not give for a good decent free flowing game. 😒
Aubs not playing for dicisplinary reason!
This one should be a win. I will go for 3-0.
This Arsenal maybe young but I think they wana fight back again.
Am not sure abt Auba.
Let’s go for a win. Arsenal can lose this many as We are much better than last season.
I think we will pay the price if we underestimate Southampton. It’s going to be a close game. We know we are going to at times play sideways/backwards at times. Without ESR the quick moves forward may not be cutting edge. I hope we win but Xhaka….really. The thug is back.
For Arsenal under Arteta, every game close
His Arsenal team hardly gets any comfortable win
Their fowards are going to press us non stop,not good.
3-0 prediction very optimistic? We tend to blow these type of matches when the going gets tough. A draw is very possible. The team lacks confidence sometimes in games like this after a bad defeat.
Odegaard can’t even make single through ball
Saka was too honest,should have gone down and it would have been a penalty.
Yes… 100%
There was a contact and ref would have awarded Spot kick
Government employees have more pressure and urgency to perform than this bunch.
‘Xhaka gives the ball away’.
Xhaka is probably the happiest of the lot to collect his weekly pension.
LOL niceone.
Yeh it feels like something is a miss.
excellent first goal! Played right through the press and goal a lovely goal from it.
Come on Laca👊
Let’s not sit back now, keep attacking.
MØ is on a good run, can’t believe some fans have been blaming him lately!
Now we can’t mess this up now surely .
Great goal by Laca
Odegaard good header but the amount of times he gives the ball away is frustrating to say the least .
Southampton defenders look even more disinterested than the Arsenal team. What a game.
Yeah Ødegaard is holding us back ha ha, that’s 3 in 3 🖕
He was awful up until his goal , every forward ball from him went to a Southampton player ,apart from his goal he’s been shite ,same as every other game he plays .
If Odegaard keeps scoring every game then we can forget that he cannot drive the ball forward, make defence splitting passes, dribble through players, and other things that ESR does.
Some people can’t see past a scoreline
Same kind of people that thought Auba would be a good captain because he scores a lot(back then)
Xhaka loosing it out again
Think it’s 4 or 5 times already.
Anything good said about Ramsdale is too little.
What does Xhaka offer that Lokonga cannot for example?
Xhaka makes 100s of mistakes per game, offers nothing above average but still starts. One can only wonder.
Arteta has to be smoking something very strong if he benches Martinelli going forward.