The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema & Tv
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
      • Shows
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

Arsenal vs Southampton match preview

Arsenal vs Southampton match preview
15 September 2012
Laurence Taylor
Avatar
Laurence Taylor
15 September 2012

Arsenal will be looking to claim their first home win of the season when they welcome Southampton to the Emirates on Saturday.

The Gunners will be looking to continue the form they showed before the international break when they secured an excellent 2-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield.

Arsene Wenger’s side finally bagged their first goals of the season in that game, with new signings Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski both finding the net.

Fellow new boy Olivier Giroud will be looking to score his first goal for the club against the Saints, a team which former Arsenal strikers Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry both opened their accounts against.

Arsenal fans will be pleased if Giroud becomes half the player those two legends turned out to be, with the former Montpellier player still adjusting to life in the Premiership.

The odds are stacked against Southampton, with the south coast side the only team in the league yet to earn a point.

However, there are signs of hope for the Saints, who deserved at least a point in their games against champions Manchester City and Manchester United.

They will have to break through a resolute Arsenal back-line to claim a surprise win, though, with the Gunners yet to concede a goal in their first three games of the season, many thanks to the addition of former Arsenal defender Steve Bould as assistant manager.

Team News

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny is set to return to the starting line-up after the Polish star recovered from a rib injury. 

Winger Theo Walcott is a doubt after missing England’s game with Ukraine because of a virus, while France midfielder Abou Diaby is unlikely to be risked after he picked up a knee injury on international duty.

Wenger also gave positive updates on long-term absentees Tomáš Rosický, Jack Wilshere, Emmanuel Frimpong and Bacary Sagna, with the quartet all set to return to full training over the coming weeks.

Southampton will have Danny Fox available for selection once more after he missed Scotland’s Euro 2012 qualifiers, while new singings Gaston Ramirez, Maya Yoshida and Emmanuel Mayuka could all make an appearance.

Probable line-ups

Arsenal: Szczęsny; Vermaelen, Koscielny, Jenkinson, Gibbs; Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud, Podolski.

Southampton: K Davis; Clyne, Hooiveld, Yoshida, Fox; Ward-Prowse, Ramirez, Mayuka, Lallana; Lambert.

Prediction: 3-1

Arsenal’s new-look side looked to have clicked against Liverpool and they are likely to have far too much against a Saints team which has already conceded eight goals in just three games. 

Laurence Taylor, football correspondent

Related Itemsreview

More in Uncategorised

Arlo the Alligator Boy

★★★★★
Mae Trumata
Read More

London’s Michelin-starred restaurants open al fresco right now – and all those re-opening in May

The editorial unit
Read More

Ride or Die

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More

Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!

★★★★★
Mersa Auda
Read More

Live from the Barbican: Moses Boyd

★★★★★
Dan Meier
Read More

Weezer with the LA Philharmonic and YOLA at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Online

★★★★★
Jessica Wall
Read More

The Secret Connection – Online

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

Chadwick Boseman: In Honour of An Artist

Andrew Murray
Read More

Ip Man: Kung Fu Master

★★★★★
Jim Compton-Hall
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • London’s best pizzas for takeaway and delivery
    Food & Drinks
  • Cruise – Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Syml – Dim EP
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • London’s Michelin-starred restaurants open al fresco right now – and all those re-opening in May
    Food & Drinks
  • Birdy at Wilton’s Music Hall Online
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Arlo the Alligator Boy
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • London’s Michelin-starred restaurants open al fresco right now – and all those re-opening in May
    Food & Drinks
  • Ride or Die
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!
    ★★★★★
    netflix
  • Live from the Barbican: Moses Boyd
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Arlo the Alligator Boy
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • London’s Michelin-starred restaurants open al fresco right now – and all those re-opening in May
    Food & Drinks
  • Live from the Barbican: Moses Boyd
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • The Secret Connection – Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • London Grammar – Californian Soil
    ★★★★★
    Album review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

New Syria peace envoy Brahimi in first visit to Damascus
UEFA show intentions of financial fair play as 23 European clubs are withheld prize money