Lawro has predicted us to win 0 - 2...not sure if I'm pleased that he recognises that we are a better side than Arsenal, or pissed off cos it means we've already lost
I was at this game last season and we played them off the park but got punished for not putting the game to bed. We will get chances tomorrow I'm sure and we've got to take them because Arsenal will get their chances as well. They're a wounded animal at the moment and they can be dangerous.
Very confident for this game, assuming no injuries then same starting team again (possible changes for the City game) but this one is winnable so should go for the Gunners from the start. Get the first goal and watch their morale will drain away
They've lost their last 4 games at home! We've never had such a good chance to win at theirs. Come on Saints!!
Argh, I can't shake a suspicion we're going to get done here. No idea why, but I think they're going to be dangerous, and there's always one reprieve for a manager waiting to bite us (see OGS for details).
I mentioned my concern, the other day, about the way they get to the byline and cut the ball back to runners. The only real chance Sheffield United created against us was via this route, so hopefully we will have been practicing for this and JWP and Romeu will be getting back to intercept crosses, when the CBs have gone with the first runners.
Revised list of Officials for the Arsenal match Referee: Paul Tierney. Assistants: Dan Cook, Sian Massey-Ellis. Fourth official: Andre Marriner. VAR: Craig Pawson. Assistant VAR: Neil Davies.
Arsenal are the fourth lowest scorers in the league, with only Sheff U, West Brom and Burnley scoring fewer. They've had disciplinary problems and Xhaka and Bellerin are suspended for this game (Elneny should have seen red against Burnley too). That's something that could play into our hands (thinking JWP vs Zaha). May mean some of their youngsters start though and they have done well in the Europa League. However, if we can work the press and frustrate them from the first minute, we have a great chance of winning this one. Would be typical Saints to draw though, just like Wolves which we should have won. I'd probably start the same team, maybe bringing in Redmond to let Walcott get the winner from the bench. Have we ever won at the Emirates in the league? I can only think of the League Cup win.
I’m expecting JWP to be on top nasty little ****house form tomorrow. Hopefully David Luiz will play, he’ll be the first one off followed swiftly by Elneny and Aubameyang.
Draw is what i reckon too. We'll start well and take an earlyish lead but fail to fully capitalise leaving them to get an equaliser in the final 20 when we tire. To answer your question we've not won there in the league since the 80's.
This is the year that everyone seems to break their long-standing record against us. Leicester hadn't beaten us away since 1973 - they beat us this season. Wolves hadn't beaten us away since 1979 - they beat us this season. Burnley hadn't beaten us away since 1974 - they beat us this season. Even Villa have the joint-most wins away tied with Man United after they beat us this season. We're not scoring, not creating, conceding every game, have no recognisable identity or discernible style, and are struggling against pretty much every team we play against. Whether a team is possession-based side, a high-intensity/pressing team, a counter-attacking side or a team that defend with a low block and rely on set-pieces/occasional forays forward - it doesn't matter. You can beat us. I know this might sound like I'm doing some reverse psychology (trust me I'm not), but you're really never going to get a better chance to beat us. This is easily the worst Arsenal team I've had the misfortune of watching. Our worst points tally to the opening 12 games since 1959. Unless you have a horribly off day, you will win with relative ease. Arsenal 1-3 Southampton.