The Gunners host the relegation-battling side needing nothing but a win after back-to-back draws at Liverpool and West Ham.

Premier League leaders Arsenal are back in action this Friday, with the Gunners hosting Southampton in a crucial fixture for both teams. While the hosts are fighting for the league title and are in desperate need of a victory, the visitors are battling relegation and would tremendously boost their odds of survival with a positive result at the Emirates Stadium.

This is the first game for the North London giants since their frustrating 2-2 draw at West Ham last Sunday. Mikel Arteta's men traveled to the London Stadium needing nothing but a win, but despite marching into a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes, the league leaders only came away from that tie with a point.

Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard guided the visitors to an early lead but a penalty from Said Benrahma and a second-half goal from Jarrod Bowen severely dented Arsenal's odds of winning their first Premier League crown in 19 years.

And to make things worse, this was the second game in a row in which Saka and Co. marched into an early 2-0 lead only to throw it away. Roughly two weeks ago, this occurred at Anfield, as an Aaron Ramsdale Man of the Match performance prevented the league leaders from suffering a comeback defeat.

As a result, Arteta's men have seen their eight-point lead from Matchweek 29 slashed to four. Additionally, the North London giants have played a game extra, and with their highly-anticipated trip to Manchester City taking place this Wednesday, things could get complicated for Arsenal.

However, before the Gunners can start thinking about Manchester City, they must overcome Southampton in Friday's showdown. Failure to do so would derail their title odds tremendously.

Southampton, meanwhile, are fighting for their lives to remain in the English top flight. The Saints remain bottom of the table with 23 points, five behind 17th-placed Everton.

And with only seven games remaining, Rubén Sellés' side have very little time to turn things around. However, James Ward-Prowse and Co. have surprisingly been impressive away from home and will look to their away form for inspiration at the Emirates Stadium.

The relegation-battling side have picked up 13 points from 23 on the road, winning four. This includes a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge and a goalless draw at Manchester United, albeit under contentious circumstances.

Nonetheless, Southampton have lost four out of their last five games, with their last victory coming back in March. And while the Saints have avoided defeats in their last two clashes with Arsenal, drawing earlier this season and beating the Gunners 1-0 at St. Mary's Stadium last campaign, their last trip to the Emirates Stadium ended in a 3-0 defeat.

This clash is one of many crucial upcoming fixtures for Ruben Selles' side, with the relegation-battlers facing Bournemouth and Newcastle afterward. Every point will be crucial for the Saints between now and the end of the campaign.

Team news

Arsenal: Mikel Arteta confirmed that William Saliba is still unfit to play after injuring his back in the UEFA Europa League encounter with Sporting CP. Meanwhile, Oleksandr Zinchenko, who missed the West Ham game due to a groin issue, is a doubt. This means Kieran Tierney should start again. It will be interesting if Mikel switches things up after back-to-back slip-ups, with Jorginho and Jakub Kiwior waiting to come in if needed.

Southampton: Ainsley Maitland-Niles is ineligibly to play against his parent club. Additionally, Juan Larios, Valentino Livramento, Mislav Orsic, and Mohammed Salisu are all sidelined while Che Adams might have to make do with a spot on the bench.

Key stats

  • Arsenal are unbeaten in 27 consecutive home games against Southampton, winning 19 and drawing eight.

  • The last time the Saints beat the Gunners in North London was way back in 1987.

  • A team bottom of the table has beaten a team leading the Premier League standings on only four occasions, with the last time being Wolves' 1-0 win over Manchester United in February 2011.

  • The last time Southampton went an entire Premier League season without losing to Arsenal was in 2015/16.

Broadcast listings

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Arsenal 3 - 3 Southampton

April 21, 2023 3:00pmEmirates Stadium (London)

This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.

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