Arsenal travel down south to visit Southampton as they continue their hunt for the Premier League title and look to consolidate their lead, so let’s take a look at the latest team news.
The Gunners will be happy that they have secured a spot in the Europa League Round of 16 with the win over PSV. Now, Mikel Arteta will be confident about the team’s chances of winning in the south coast.
As for the team news, there are some doubts over the availability of a few players. One of them is Bukayo Saka who had a knock against PSV but is expected to be fit. Another player who is expected to make the squad is winger Gabriel Martinelli.
There are some doubts over whether Alex Zinchenko is going to make the squad or not. The hope is that the full back will be available and that gives the squad an added boost.
Speaking ahead of the game, Arteta said(as per Arsenal’s official website):
[on Saka] – “I think he’s fine. I think he was struggling a bit at the end [against PSV], but hopefully he will be fine for Sunday.”
[on Martinelli] – “Yeah, he came on yesterday. He had a tough week, he wasn’t feeling great during the week, but towards the day before the game, he was already feeling better and that’s why we decided to play him a little bit.”
[on Zinchenko] – “I think he’s close [to returning]. He’s getting better and better and he’s progressing really well.”
Arsenal Fever View:
The north Londoners have to ensure that they do not let the pressing of the hosts get to them. If that happens, it can derail what Arteta wants to achieve and for that, there will be a lot of emphasis on what Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard do.
Getting the ball beyond the first line of press will go a long way in ensuring that they can create chances for their forwards. The likes of Saka and Martinelli have the ability to run past the full backs and create a lot of opportunities. Finding them in space will be key to score the three points.
The hosts do have some talent in their ranks that can create problems, but the Gunners will be confident that they can deal with it. Having the cushion of a four-point lead can have a positive impact on the way the visitors approach this game.
Arsenal have had an impressive start to the season, but it is imperative that they keep it going. Getting a win in the south coast is not easy but this squad has the talent to pull that off. The league leaders should be returning with the three points.
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