Ex-Gunners midfielder Paul Merson thinks that Arsenal will have too much for Southampton when they face them at St Mary’s tomorrow afternoon.

The Saints lost their first game under new head coach Ralph Hasenhuttl last Saturday against Cardiff City and Merson doesn’t think the South Coast club will fare any better against Unai Emery’s side, predicting a 3-1 scoreline to the Londoners. He wrote in his column for SkySports.com:

“The way Arsenal are playing all over the pitch, I can’t see them not getting a result. It’s getting to the point where Southampton have to win. You need that honeymoon period with the new manager and they’re in danger of missing even that. If they sit back, it will play into Arsenal’s hands even more.”

The Gunners’ unbeaten run now stretches to 22 games after their 1-0 win over Qarabag in the Europa League on Thursday night.

They haven’t lost an away match in any competition since the narrow 3-2 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge back in August.

With Emery able to rest most of his key players against Qarabag midweek, his starting eleven should be fresh and prepared for the challenge against the Saints. 

One concern for Arsenal will be their lack of options at centre-half with Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Shkodran Mustafi both suspended, but their firepower could prove to be too much for their opponents as Merson points out.