Arsenal will be looking to get back to winning ways when they welcome Southampton to the Emirates Stadium on Friday night in a huge game at both ends of the Premier League table.
The north London outfit have seen their lead cut from eight points to four in the past fortnight after surrendering 2-0 leads against both Liverpool and West Ham United only to draw 2-2, although they do have an incentive in the knowledge that Manchester City are in FA Cup action this weekend.
With that said, it's only a boost if Arsenal beat Southampton and it won't be as straightforward as many think it could be as the division's bottom side have taken points off Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks, so the hosts can't afford to get complacent.
READ MORE: Every word Mikel Arteta said on William Saliba injury, Zinchenko fitness and Bukayo Saka
The good news is that Mikel Arteta hasn't reported any fresh injuries following last weekend's setback at the London Stadium which means he can name an unchanged team. However, with a big game against Man City on the horizon, could this cause the Gunners boss to rethink his line-up?
Not for the first time this season, football.london's Arsenal writers Kaya Kaynak and Tashan Deniran-Alleyne are on hand to offer their assistance to the Spanish tactician. Below, they name their respective starting line-ups for the home side against Southampton.
Kaya Kaynak - Chief Arsenal Writer
If I were Mikel Arteta I make look to make a little bit of rotation where possible, with Manchester City coming up in just five days' time.
Aaron Ramsdale obviously won't be affected while Ben White and Rob Holding can't really be rotated with the injuries. Gabriel, meanwhile, has to play, but if Alex Zinchenko isn't fully fit, then I think you can definitely trust Kieran Tierney to come in and do the job against a Saints side who will leave space out wide.
In midfield, I might even consider playing Jorginho just purely for the purpose of having Thomas Partey fit for City. The Ghanaian was absent for the last clash so having him fit is essential. Martin Odegaard will obviously have to join them in midfield, but I think you can look at resting Granit Xhaka for this one too. With that in mind, I might be tempted to chuck Emile Smith Rowe in and see if he can deliver.
Up front, resting Bukayo Saka would create more of a story than necessary after his missed penalty at West Ham so I think that he has to play. Up front, it's got to be Gabriel Jesus again with the form he's in, and Gabriel Martinelli is also undroppable for me.
Kaynak's Arsenal XI vs Southampton: Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Jorginho, Smith Rowe, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Tashan Deniran-Alleyne - Arsenal Writer
A couple of weeks ago, I would have had this game down as an opportunity for Mikel Arteta to freshen things up - ahead of the trip to the Etihad Stadium - and possibly hand starts to the likes of Jorginho, Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira.
But following the manner of those draws against Liverpool and West Ham United, it's important the Spaniard goes with his strongest possible team as the incentive is to open up a seven-point lead at the top of the table, which would place all the pressure on Man City next Wednesday.
Therefore, if fit, I would hand Oleksandr Zinchenko an immediate recall at left-back. It's not that Kieran Tierney was bad last weekend, but he doesn't offer the same control as the Ukraine international when drifting into midfield. Other than that it's the same defensive unit that has started the last four games.By his own high standards, Thomas Partey was well below-par against the Hammers but I see no reason to leave him out. However, I just wonder if this is the game where Leandro Trossard leads the line instead of Gabriel Jesus as the Brazilian is still working his way back to full fitness after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Deniran-Alleyne's Arsenal XI vs Southampton: Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Odegaard, Xhaka; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Who gets into your starting XI? Use our team selector below and leave a comment to have your say.
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