Arsenal vs Southampton LIVE!
The Gunners welcome Saints to the Emirates Stadium this afternoon looking to make amends for past sins. The last time Southampton were in the Premier League, they took four points off Arsenal – including a very damaging draw in the title run-in – as Mikel Arteta’s side fell short to Man City for the first time. The manager will be more than aware of any costly slip-ups.
Arteta will give Jurrien Timber and Ben White enough time to be fit after returning to training following injury concerns, but Riccardo Calafiori is fit to continue should both fail late fitness tests. Arsenal will also be welcoming former goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale back for the first time since his summer exit, and will get a warm reception.
Southampton will be without suspended captain Jack Stephens. while Ross Stewart faces a late fitness test of his own. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Dom Smith at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal vs Southampton latest updates
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Kick-off time: 3pm BST, Emirates Stadium
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Arsenal XI: Sterling and Jesus start
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Southampton XI; Ramsdale returns
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Score prediction: Gunners cruise to victory
14:30 , Alex Young
Gabriel Martinelli is the programme cover star but no place in the starting XI.
14:27 , Alex Young
So, Liverpool have won 1-0 at Crystal Palace. They did not have it all their own way, and lost Alisson to injury with about 15 minutes to play, but move four points clear of Manchester City and Arsenal head of the 3pm kick-offs.
Dom Smith at Emirates Stadium
14:22 , Alex Young
Though Calafiori has slotted in well at left-back since coming into the team – including a memorable goal at the Etihad – Arsenal will be relying on two unnatural fits at full-back today, with Thomas Partey dropping back from midfield because of Jurrien Timber and Ben White’s absence.
It remains to be seen which flank Calafiori and Partey play, but there’s no doubt Southampton will try to target those positions as perceived weaknesses. Will be interesting to see how the duo cope.
14:15 , Alex Young
Raheem Sterling is trusted from the off today, having scored one and assisted another against Bolton last week.
It’s a big chance for the loanee from Chelsea, having been afforded just 10-15mins in cameos appearances in the Premier League thus far.
Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli will be watching on from the bench.
14:08 , Alex Young
It’s three changes for Arsenal as Sterling is handed his first league start and is joined by Jorginho and Jesus.
Martinelli and Trossard are on the bench, and injured Timber misses out entirely.
Southampton make four changes as Walker-Peters, Manning, Aribo and Stewart come in.
Dom Smith checks in
14:02
Our man in north London with more on the teams.
Team news in full
13:54
Arsenal XI: Raya; Calafiori, Saliba, Gabriel, Partey; Havertz, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Jesus, Sterling
Subs: Neto, Martinelli, Kiwor, Tomiyasu, Trossard, Merino, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Butler-Oyedeji
Southampton XI: Ramsdale; Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Walker-Peters; Downes, Aribo, Manning; Fernandes; Dibling, Stewart
Subs: McCarthy, Taylor, Bree, Ugochukwu, Lallana, Archer, Brereton Diaz, Armstrong, Onuachu
Arsenal XI
13:48 , Alex Young
…and the hosts!
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
👊 Gabriel at the back
☑️ Sterling’s first PL start
⚡ Jesus leads the lineLet’s take it to the next level, Gunners!
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 5, 2024
Southampton XI
13:47 , Alex Young
Here’s how the visitors look!
13:44 , Alex Young
Starts for Sterling and Jesus today. Confirmed XI to follow.
13:37 , Alex Young
Early reports suggest no start for Nwaneri today.
13:30 , Alex Young
Team news expected in about 15 minutes, with question marks over White and Timber’s fitness.
Arsenal vs Southampton match odds
13:25 , Alex Young
Arsenal to win: 1/12
Draw: 7/1
Southampton to win: 18/1
Ramsdale: Arsenal title win wouldn’t have meant much to me
13:19 , Alex Young
Aaron Ramsdale says Arsenal winning the Premier League title “wouldn’t have meant much” to him unless he was playing.
Arsenal again ended up empty-handed last season but, in a surprising admission, Ramsdale says any piece of silverware won while he was not on the pitch would not have mattered to him.
“If I was sitting on the bench, [winning a trophy] wouldn’t have meant that much to me,” Ramsdale told BBC Sport’s Football Focus.
“I just wanted to play football. As a kid I wanted to play football to play, not to just sit on a bench. Getting out and playing was my aim so I’m lucky I found myself here at Southampton.”
Arteta plans to confuse Ramsdale
13:11 , Alex Young
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will play “mind games” with returning goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale when it comes to set-piece routines.
Arsenal have been prolific at scoring from set-pieces under Arteta, with the help of coach Nicolas Jover, with 44 goals since 2021. But Arteta is aware his players may need to change up their antics with Ramsdale very familiar with the routines.
“Maybe we will tell him that we will adapt something but then do the same thing so he’s going to be thinking we’re going to adapt it,” Arteta said on Friday. “So there is going to be some mind games. I’m sure that they will have discussed that.
“It’s not the first time that we have played against a player that was in our camp, it’s natural that it happens. So we need to have the capacity to understand and continue to do our things.”
Ramsdale’s return
13:03 , Alex Young
Aaron Ramdale lost his place as Arsenal No1 last season, just weeks after he was awarded a new contract, when David Raya was signed from Brentford.
Arteta has been speaking about his former keeper.
“I called him straight away after I got the news [of his move to Southampton],” Arteta said of Ramsdale. “He was really happy. He is a player we love a lot. Very charismatic. He really put his fingerprints here in the way he was. And it will be very nice to see him.
“I was very grateful for what he did. When we signed him, there was a lot of noise around him. We helped him to create the environment that he needed, because we believed in his potential. He showed it. He won the respect and admiration of all of us.
“Then the circumstances changed, because this is elite sport and it can happen. Then it was difficult to deal with that situation in a natural way. We decided to part ways. Hopefully he is grateful as well.”
Arsenal vs Southampton prediction
12:56 , Alex Young
Mikel Arteta will be well aware of the damaging results against Southampton in the previous two times these two teams met, but this Saints side do not appear to pose the same threat as the squad of two seasons ago despite being relegated.
More importantly, this Arsenal squad also looks far stronger than the team battling for the title in April 2023, so should have little problems recording another win this weekend.
The wobble against Leicester will be a concern, but the return of Mikel Merino to fitness is a boost in the midfield.
Arsenal to win, 3-0.
Southampton team news
12:50 , Alex Young
Aaron Ramsdale returns to the Emirates for the first time since joining Southampton in the summer.
The goalkeeper endured a tough final season in north London but is understood to have left on good terms.
Otherwise, it’s a case of as you were for Southampton, with Gavin Bazunu, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Jack Stephens and William Smallbone no closer to returns.
Arsenal team news
12:42 , Alex Young
Arsenal could potentially be handed a triple boost in defence this afternoon.
Jurrien Timber and Ben White were both kept out of training on Thursday to manage their load but are “close” to featuring and a decision on their involvement has not yet been made, according to Mikel Arteta.
Takehiro Tomiyasu, meanwhile, is on the verge of making his first-team return from a knee injury, having not yet made an appearance this season.
Arteta was on Friday asked for an update on the recoveries of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Odegaard, who are out with calf and ankle injuries respectively.
“Alex [Zinchenko] probably after the international break, if everything goes well”, said Arteta. “He’s progressing really well.
“Martin, it’s very difficult, because I expected still [wearing] the boot and a lot of things but he’s working so hard and is feeling good and is pushing, so difficult to give a timeline.”
How to watch in UK
12:35
TV channel: In the UK, the game will not be televised live as it lands during the 3pm Saturday blackout.
Free highlights: The Sky Sports app and YouTube channel will show highlights from 5.15pm with Match of the Day broadcasting on BBC One at 10.30pm BST.
Welcome
12:28 , Alex Young
Good afternoon and welcome to the Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Premier League clash between Arsenal and Southampton.
It’s another favourable home game for the Gunners, though last week’s visit of Leicester moved far trickier than expected.
Aaron Ramsdale is back for the first time since his £25million summer exit – more on that shortly, could he produce the better performance of his career and upset his former side.
Kick-off is at 3pm. Stick with us.
