⚽Arsenal vs Southampton
👌English Premier League, KO: 15:00 Oct 5, 2024, Emirates Stadium
✅Arsenal go head-to-head against Southampton on Saturday. Read our Predictions and Betting Tips with Match Preview, Head-to-head stats (h2h) and Team Form Analysis.
Our prediction for this Premier League match:
High-flying Arsenal will be aiming to build on a 2-0 win over PSG when they face Southampton in yet another home Premier League fixture on Saturday afternoon. The Gunners are determined to put an end to Man City’s dominance in the national championship and a win over Southampton could see them overtake Pep Guardiola’s troops in the Premier League standings. Fit-again summer signing Mikel Merino is pushing for a start after coming as a substitute in the Champions League clash, while all Oleksandr Zinchenko, Martin Odeegaard, and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain in the recovery room.
The Saints, on the other hand, experienced all sorts of problems at the back in a 3-1 loss to Bournemouth and they are unlikely to spoil Arsenal’s party at Emirates Stadium. In their last meeting in London the two sides played out a thrilling 3-3 draw and yet another high-scoring affair is on the horizon. Both Gavin Bazunu and Kamaldeen Sulemana are injured for the visiting side as well as Will Smallbone.
How the bookies view it: Another Saints defeat a sure thing
Unsurprisingly, Arsenal are overwhelming favourites on Saturday, with a home success trading at a lowly 1/9 on WK777.
Southampton are a whopping 17/1 (PHMACAO) to secure their first league win of the season, while the draw is also deemed improbable at 15/2 (WJPESO).
Head to head: Saints seeking more solace
Amidst their current woes, there is a small crumb of comfort for Southampton when it comes to this fixture, as they are undefeated in each of their last three meetings with Arsenal, the most recent of which was a frantic 3-3 draw at this venue back in April 2023.
Arsenal vs Southampton Prediction
Arsenal returned to winning ways last weekend, beating Leicester 4-2 at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners have thus closed the gap behind new leaders Liverpool to just one point.
Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard were especially inspired last weekend against the Foxes, delivering a goal and an assist apiece on the occasion.
Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz took charge in the mid-week’s UEFA Champions League game, taking Arsenal to a 2-0 victory over PSG. It was the team’s maiden win of the campaign in the elite continental competition’s league phase.
Arsenal will have a nice chance to keep the great run of form going on Saturday afternoon. They host struggling Southampton in Matchday No 7 in North London.
The visitors share the very bottom of the league table with Wolves. They’ve managed to pick up just a single point so far in the season.
Southampton also boast the division’s weakest attacking record, having scored no more than three goals in maiden six matches.
We have the clash between one of the main title contenders and one of the worst teams in the division.
Everything points to a one-way street for the Gunners here. They enter the tie in much higher spirits after recent wins.
Arsenal bagged eleven goals in the last three victories in all competitions. Southampton go into this off the back of a painful 1-3 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth in the south coast derby last Monday at Vitality Stadium.
In these circumstances, we have to back Arsenal to win both halves at the 2.00 odds.
We will also take the 2.20 odds offered for their top scorer Kai Havertz to score anytime. Havertz has three goals to his name so far in the Premier League. He was also on target in a 2-0 win over PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Players to watch: Kai to kibosh Saints?
Kai Havertz has scored in each of Arsenal’s last two matches and the German ace looks overpriced at 6/5 (PHCASH) to strike against a Southampton side that have looked out of their depth following their promotion back to the Premier League.
The one shining light for Southampton this season has been the emergence of Tyler Dibling. The Saints teenage star is a towering 12/1 (PHMAYA) to notch in North London.
Predicted line-ups
Arsenal quartet Kieran Tierney, Martin Odegaard, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu all currently find themselves on the treatment table.
Russell Martin is expected to make changes following Monday night’s 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth, though he will be without injured trio Gavin Bazunu, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Will Smallbone.
Arsenal: Raya; Calafiori, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Partey, Rice; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli; Havertz
Southampton: Ramsdale; Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Taylor; Ugochukwu, Downes; Dibling, Aribo, Brereton Diaz; Archer
