Arsenal face Claude Puel’s side in this Saturday’s last FA Cup game and hope to start off well in what will be a tough 2 weeks due to Wenger’s suspension. The FA gave the verdict and it is not a pleasant one as the Frenchman will have to sit out the next 4 games one of which is crucial to this year’s title race – the one against Chelsea.
Getting back to the game at hand which is set to begin at 5:30 PM, it would be a great morale boost for the Gunners to win without Wenger on the bench. It will not be an easy game though as Southampton are following a 3-0 win against reigning champions Leicester who despite not being even close to what they showed last year, they still remain a very strong side and also a massive win against Liverpool that got them a place in the EFL Cup Final.
It is hard to predict a specific outcome for the game as Puel’s side has been less than consistent this season. They lost 3 out of their 5 games while Arsenal won 4 and drew once. Southampton did get the win in their last game so they might be getting back on the horse. The other thing to consider is that the FA Cup is probably their biggest goal this season as the 10th place in the Premier League standings looks pretty much where they will stay until the end of the season.
Squad Updates
Southampton will not be counting on three important pieces: Van Dijk is out on an ankle injury, Rodriguez has yet to recover after this Wednesday’s win and Ward-Prowse suffered a knock which still needs to be evaluated. Austin who is still the team’s top scorer is also out due to a shoulder injury.
Arsenal will not count on Xhaka who is suspended but they will have Walcott available. Chances are he will not be used though as the Premier League is Wenger’s number one priority.
Head to Head
Arsenal haven’t managed to score against Southampton in their last 5 games so hopefully that pattern will be broken this Saturday.
The last FA Cup game between the two was won by Robert Pires’ goal back in 2003. Arsenal beat the Saints in the Premier League but were eliminated after a 1-0 loss in the EFL Cup back in November.
While in a normal Premier League clash, Arsenal would be clear favorites, it will be harder for them to win especially with most of the focus directed towards Chelsea. Even so 2-1 in Arsenal’s favor sounds about right.