Arsenal play host to Southampton at the Emirates in their next Premier League encounter as they look to reclaim top spot ahead of Leicester City.
The first meeting between the two sides took place at the St Mary’s Stadium with the Gunners just coming off the back of a victory against Manchester City.
But apparently the momentum from the City game wasn’t enough to vanquish the Saints as they ran out 4-0 winners on the occasion.
The loss to Southampton back then stopped Arsenal in their tracks as doubts surrounding their Premier League contention arose from all corners – if anything the massive loss bred disbelief amongst the fans as well as the players.
Now the Gunners have a chance to redeem themselves against the opposition they tend to struggle against, so let’s have a look at just how crucial this fixture could turn out for the Gunners.
The race to the top
This fixture is most certainly one that will affect the race at the top of the table as a win for the Gunners could see them move top of the table depending on the results in other match centers while a loss could see Leicester City get a 6 point advantage over them.
Wenger should approach this fixture with utmost caution as it will prove to be somewhat decisive in the title race.
Huge Morale Booster
It’s going to be a huge morale booster for the Gunners as a win against the Saints would remove the doubts haunting the players after their first meeting this season.
It would pave the way for the Gunners to launch a viable title challenge as the Players would receive the full backing of the fans for the challenges ahead.
It’s one home game they need to win
the Gunners need to make the Emirates a fortress again, a couple of years back a game at the Emirates meant three points for Arsenal, but now things have changed as Wenger hasn’t been able to keep up consistency on home soil.
They lost their last home game against Chelsea so they can’t afford to lose two home games in a row.
I’m expecting Arsenal to line-up pretty strongly against the Saints and one thing’s for sure – it’s going to be an eventful encounter.
