Arsenal may have looked dismal in the tame FA cup defeat at St Marys on Saturday, but tonight’s League clash will have a completely different look to it, as Mikel Arteta will be reinstating all his rested senior players to the squad after prioritising the League game ahead of the Cup.
Southampton, on the other hand, put out a very strong side to make sure they progressed in the Cup, so are expected to have to rest some of their tired top players.
Ralph Hasenhuttl has also admitted that the Saints will be missing both of his first-choice full-backs, Kyle Walker-Peters and Ryan Bertrand, for today’s return event. Walker-Peters sustained an injury in training and Hasenhuttl revealed on the Official Saints website: “It looks that he can definitely not make it tomorrow – this is another setback for us, to be honest.
“It’s the quad area, he’s got some problems. He only warmed up a little bit today and then felt some problems so had to stop.
“After Ryan Bertrand out with his fifth yellow card, we have to find the right solutions at full-back. It’s an important position for our game.”
Hasenhuttl also admitted that Oriol Romeu and Nathan Redmond are nearly recovered from long term problems, but will not be ready to be in the starting XI.
So, although the Gunners were knocked out of the Cup by the Saints, there is no reason to think that today’s game will be as dificult as that, and perhaps Arsenal should even be favourites?