ARSENAL VS SOUTHAMPTON: TEAM NEWS AND PREDICTED LINEUP

 

London club Arsenal are currently enduring one of their worst starts to a season in their history. After losing their last four games at home in the Emirates Stadium, pressure has been mounting on manager Mikel Arteta as fans have started to call for his head.


The Gunners currently lie 15th in the Premier League table and are close to the relegation zone. They have also gone five straight Premier League games without a win but will be looking to bounce back on Wednesday.

Given that Hector Bellerin and Granit Xhaka will both miss the game as they are suspended, Arteta will be biting his nails and looking to bring together a team that can help secure a win to vanquish their present status.

Brazilian defender David Luiz and Ghanian international midfielder Thomas Partey will also miss the game through injury, leaving Arteta in a more worrying dilemma.

Bellerin could be replaced by either Cedric Soares or Ainsley Maitland-Niles but it is Soares who has the upper hand to getting selected for the right-back spot.

Miles could feature in midfield given Xhaka’s absence, but he remains behind Mohamed Elneny and Dani Ceballos in the pecking order for that position.

In the attacking department, Nicolas Pepe has finished serving his three-game ban and is most likely to come back to the team to replace Willian who has been woeful.

Joe Willock may get the nod over Alexandre Lacazette while star man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka have been tipped to retain their spots in the team.

The Predicted Starting Lineup

Leno, Cedric Soares, Rob Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Dani Ceballos, Mohamed Elneny, Nicolas Pepe, Joe Willock, Saka, Aubameyang

Formation (4-2-3-1)

If Arteta fails to get a win in this fixture, there will be more calls for him to be sacked.