Arsenal – Southampton : Preview & Prediction
Despite leading the Premier League (PL) for the vast majority of the season, Arsenal appear to be faltering in their bid to retain the title, which is surprising considering they have not lost a league game since mid-February (G7, E2). Manchester City have not stopped chasing the Gunners, and that means that their two consecutive 2-2 draws – after leading 2-0 in each – have reduced their lead at the top to just four points going into this matchday, although it is also worth considering that City have a game in hand. All of that has to be taken into account before the two sides meet next week.
This clash against Southampton is the ideal match to get back to winning ways before that key game against City. Mikel Arteta’s side have not only won each of their seven home games so far against teams currently in the bottom half of the table, but they have also scored an incredible 27 goals in total in those games, conceding just seven. Furthermore, you would have to go back 27 games in North London to see the last time Arsenal suffered a home defeat to these opponents.
All of that predicts a rather tricky encounter for a Southampton side that is already in a rather complicated situation. They finished last time out four points off the safety zone and have gone six PL games without a win (E2, P4) and, furthermore, despite the tight nature of this year’s relegation battle, they have been rooted to the bottom of the table for the last five weeks. Their most recent defeat, a 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace, was particularly painful, and left manager Rubén Sellés admitting that it is becoming “increasingly difficult” to climb out of the danger zone with just seven games left in the campaign.
Regardless of their recent form, Southampton have been fairly solid away from home in recent weeks. They have conceded just two goals in their last four away league games, although having scored just one goal in their last five clashes on rival soil explains why they have been unable to convert those strong defensive displays into points (G1, E1, P3).
Players to watch: Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus has looked good after returning from injury and has scored four goals in his last three games – he scored three of them before halftime. It has been a season to forget for Southampton’s Mohamed Elyounoussi, who records zero goals and one assist in 27 PL appearances, but could register a third straight assist against Arsenal should he provide one in this clash.
Key stat: Each of the last eight official matches between these two sides has produced two or more cards.
Arsenal – Southampton : Betting Tips
OVER 3.5 GOALS Odds: 2.25
