Prediction: Arsenal vs Southampton

Prediction: Home win

Best Odds: 3/5

Bookmaker: bet365

It’s another big test for Southampton as they travel to North London in order to try and knock off in-form Arsenal. The Gunners have been on fire ever since their lull in form back in February, with their latest victory over CSKA Moscow showcasing just how dangerous they can be going forward. Southampton, on the other hand, are aiming to avoid what would be a somewhat surprising relegation down into the Championship.

Arsenal

While Arsenal’s main focus will continue to be winning the Europa League in order to confirm their entry into the Champions League, these games are equally as important for their credibility. Wenger has a history of finishing the season strong, and with the Emirates faithful behind them, Arsenal will be seeing this as a ‘no nonsense’ game in which they must dispatch of the lowly Southampton. Unfortunately it’s easier said than done, especially given how inconsistent they’ve been since August.

Team News

Mkhitaryan has been officially ruled out for Arsenal which will be seen as a big blow, although Aubameyang is set to return to the starting line-up.

Southampton

Southampton really should look at the remainder of the campaign as a ‘nothing to lose’ period of time, especially now that they’re being managed by Mark Hughes. They’ll need to weigh up their priorities in the next few weeks given that they’ll be travelling to Wembley for their FA Cup semi-final, although in the grand scheme of things, survival is much more important. They’ve got the players necessary to cause an upset, but it’s just a case of finding the right kind of motivation.

Team News

Lemina’s quick recovery from an illness may not be good enough to warrant a start, as Sam McQueen has been officially ruled out with an injury.

Factors to Consider

• Arsenal have only lost one of their last six games against Southampton.
• The Saints’ last top flight win over the Gunners was in 1987.
• Wenger’s side have a Europa League second leg tie to prepare for just a few days after this game.
• Arsenal have scored the 2nd most Premier League home goals this season.
• Charlie Austin has scored in all three games he’s played in against Arsenal.

Conclusion

At this stage it’s not exactly rocket science to predict who will win this kind of game, although with the Premier League, there’s always a shock lurking right around the corner. With that being said, we can see this one being a narrow victory for Wenger, with an injury time winner for a 2-1 result being our official prediction.

Prediction: Home win

Best Odds: 3/5

Bookmaker: bet365