Arsenal need to get their act together. The Gunners have dropped some valuable points in their last three Premier League matches, which has seen them surrender top spot in the table. Their championship credentials will be put to the test once again as they face a surging Southampton side that dealt the Gunners their heaviest league defeat of the season on Boxing Day.
Read on below for our preview of this midweek Premier League showcase. Meanwhile, check out our preview of Tuesday’s other top matchup, Leicester City vs. Liverpool.
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Arsenal vs. Southampton Preview
Where: Emirates Stadium, London
When: Tuesday, February 2, 2:45 PM ET
Line: Arsenal -146 vs. Southampton +350, tie +240; total 2.5 – view all EPL lines
Betting on Arsenal (13-5-5, 44 pts)
The Gunners are misfiring. After winning their first two games of the New Year, they’ve now gone three straight matches without a win due to draws at Liverpool and Stoke and a rare home loss to Chelsea. Those poor results have now seen them fall three points behind leaders Leicester in the table.
On the bright side, they got back on the winning track with a 2-1 victory over Burnley in the FA Cup, although it was with a much-altered starting 11. But Alexis Sanchez, who only came on for the last 30 or so minutes against Chelsea after a prolonged layoff, got some extended time on the pitch and made the most of it. He scored his first goal since November, and also supplied the assist for Arsenal’s other goal.
Having Sanchez back to full speed should help a struggling Arsenal attack that has surprisingly been held scoreless for the last two games. He should take the pressure off Mesut Ozil (the league’s leader in assists with 16) and Olivier Giroud, who’ve carried the team offensively in his absence.
Arsenal are 7-2-2 at home this season and have given up just seven goals, the best home defensive record in the league. In 20 home league games against Southampton since 1988, the Gunners have given up more than one goal just three times. They’ve won 15 of those 20 games, and have gone undefeated during that stretch.
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Betting on Southampton (9-6-8, 36 pts)
After going through quite a lean period from October to December, Southampton are finally on a roll of late. They’ve won their past three games on the bounce against Watford, West Brom and at Manchester United, and have impressively kept clean sheets in all three.
Charlie Austin made an immediate impact as he scored the late winner at Old Trafford in his debut. He’ll provide more firepower to a Saints strikeforce that is surging of late. Dusan Tadic scored twice in their three-game win streak, as did James Ward-Prowse. Meanwhile, Shane Long and Sadio Mane, who have combined for eight goals this season, are also very dangerous threats.
As stated earlier, the Saints have had a horrendous record at Highbury and the Emirates throughout the years. But they should be full of confidence after their rare away win at Old Trafford. They’re 3-4-4 away from home on the season. Moreover, the Saints dealt Arsenal a heavy 4-0 beatdown at St. Mary’s on Boxing Day. Long led the way with two goals.
Southampton have actually had a stellar record against Arsenal in the past few years. They’ve beaten the Gunners three times in their last four meetings in all competitions, and have lost just three times in the last 10 (3-4-3).
Writer’s Prediction
Arsenal (-146) finally end their winless skid with a comfortable 2-0 win over Southampton.
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