Southampton VS Arsenal Match Prediction
2018-12-16
13:30:00
Southampton
VS
Arsenal
Our Prediction Tip
Arsenal will win this match.
2018-12-1613:30:00 Arsenal will win this match.
An Arsenal win would be their 50th against Southampton, having won 49 of the previous 95 matches between the two. Southampton have won 20 but their last in the league was on Boxing Day in 2015. Last season, Charlie Austin scored early on before Arsenal nabbed a late leveller through Olivier Giroud at St Mary’s, but the Gunners won the reverse fixture. Another early Austin goal and Shane Long’s strike put Southampton 2-0, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Danny Welbeck pulled it back before half-time and the latter went on to grab a winner in the final ten minutes. Here are the results of the last five matches:
Apr 08, 2018: Arsenal 3-2 Southampton
Dec 10, 2017: Southampton 1-1 Arsenal
May 10, 2017: Southampton 0-2 Arsenal
Jan 28, 2017: Southampton 0-5 Arsenal (FAC)
Nov 30, 2016: Arsenal 0-2 Southampton (LC)
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If Ralph Hasenhuttl did not know the magnitude of the task facing him at Southampton this season, he will have learned quickly after the 1-0 defeat to Cardiff last weekend.
That limp performance made it 12 in a row without a win in the league – in stark contrast to Arsenal’s 22-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
The Gunners have been less convincing in their last two league appearances but nevertheless go into this game as huge favourites.
They boast the league’s joint-top goalscorer in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while Alexandre Lacazette got back to scoring ways in mid-week too.
Arsenal do have a defensive issue, with three centre-backs ruled out and Laurent Koscielny only back from his own long-term injury in mid-week, but Southampton lack the attacking punch to take advantage.
Danny Ings’ return would be timely, while Charlie Austin scored against Tottenham, but a lack of goals has been one of the Saints’ big issues this season.
The other, of course, is their defence. Hasenhuttl rang the changes for his first game in charge, and they conceded once against Cardiff, but Arsenal represent a sterner test in that regard.
If Aubameyang, Lacazette and co fire, it could be another difficult day for Southampton.
Unsurprisingly, Arsenal are favourites to beat Southampton but the price is not as low as you might expect – they can be backed at 19/20 wot win with Betway, 10Bet and 888sport.
That improves to 3/1 with 888sport if you back Arsenal to win to nil, which is generous considering Southampton’s lack of goals this season.
You can also back against both teams to score at 29/20 with Ladbrokes and 888sport.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is joint-top scorer in the Premier League and the Gabonese striker is a best price of 11/10 to score at any time with Betfair, Paddy Power, Ladbrokes and Betway.
Southampton are without a win in 12 in the league, while Arsenal are unbeaten in 22. The only surprise is Arsenal are not even lower priced at the bookmakers.
Changes last time out included rare starts for Jannik Vestergaard. Jan Bednarek, Yan Valery, Oriol Romeu and Charlie Austin, while Danny Ings is pushing for a recall after recovering from injury. It remains to be seen if Hasenhuttl sticks or twists after a full week on the training ground with his new charges.
Danny Ings – The Liverpool loanee’s return has been one positive in recent weeks, as he looks to add to his five goals so far this season.
Stuart Armstrong – Three goals in the two games against Fulham and Manchester United kick-started his Saints career – even if the team’s defensive issues meant it only earned a single point.
Charlie Austin – The last Saints player to score, having netted a late consolation in the heavy defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
Southampton are without a league win since September 1 and have drawn one and lost two so far in December. Stuart Armstrong and Cedric Soares put them 2-0 up after 20 minutes at home to Manchester United but they drew 2-2, before a 3-1 loss at Wembley against Tottenham – Charlie Austin scoring in the last minute. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s first game in charge ended in a 1-0 defeat to Cardiff last time out.
Arsenal are light on options at centre-back with Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Shkodran Mustafi both suspended and Rob Holding set to miss the rest of the season through injury. Laurent Koscielny returned for the first time since last season to play 71 minutes in the win against Qarabag in mid-week, but Unai Emery has admitted another start for the Frenchman so soon after would be a risk. Carl Jenkinson could slot inside for his first league start of the season, while Nacho Monreal could be deployed in the middle having just returned from injury himself.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – This season’s joint-top scorer in the Premier League with ten goals and three assists so far this season – a rate of 122 minutes per goal.
Alexandre Lacazette – The Frenchman got back to goalscoring ways himself in mid-week, and this has been a much-improved season for him up top.
Lucas Torreira – The match winner against Huddersfield has added more dynamism and bite to the Arsenal central midfield this season.
Arsenal stretched their unbeaten run to 22 games when their young side beat Qarabag in their final Europa League group stage match – Alexandre Lacazette scoring the early winner in that one. It followed Lucas Torreira’s strike in the 1-0 home win against Huddersfield, while Shkodran Mustafi and an own goal had twice given Arsenal the lead before they settled for a 2-2 draw at Manchester United in the previous game.
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