Arsenal vs. Southampton
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Kick off: 2:15PM
Arsenal return to domestic action this weekend with a Premier League match against Southampton at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon.
The Gunners, fresh from a solid result in the Europa League, face up against a Southampton side who are craving a win to ignite their Premier League survival push.
Arsenal’s defeat of CSKA Moscow on Thursday showed signs of why the Gunners will have been aiming for a top-four spot in the league this term.
Two goals from Aaron Ramsey and a further double from Alexandre Lacazette put Arsene Wenger’s side in a strong position to reach the semi-finals of the competition.
Today’s game is an opportunity for Arsenal to register a third straight Premier League win for only the second time this season, while they can also keep things ticking over ahead of the team’s trip to Moscow.
Southampton, meanwhile, are in a dangerous position in the Premier League.
The Saints sit inside the relegation zone, but are just two points adrift of safety.
Like Arsenal, Southampton are still fighting on two fronts.
Mark Hughes’s side have an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to later this month, but their focus for now will surely be on surviving in the Premier League.
Southampton are without a victory in the league since the start of February, when the club defeated relegation-bound West Bromwich Albion 3-2.
Since that game, the Saints have only scored one goal in the league, with their only other strikes coming in the FA Cup.
More worryingly, though, the team have conceded nine goals in their last five league outings.
Their last two defeats have both come by a 3-0 margin, to West Ham United and Newcastle United respectively, in a run that must stop if Hughes is to help his team survive.
Arsenal possible XI: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Chambers, Monreal, Elneny, Ramsey, Ozil, Wilshere, Welbeck, Aubameyang.
Southampton possible XI: McCarthy, Cedric, Stephens, Hoedt, Bertrand, Hojbjerg, Lemina, Tadic, Redmond, Austin, Gabbiadini.