Nick Ames’ match report has landed – I bet he had fun rewriting that at the end – so I’m going to go for a lie-down. Thanks for your company and emails, goodnight.
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“Wonderful, and yet not wonderful,” says Charles Antaki. “I love the team to bits, but crikey almighty. That sentiment will probably do for either team.”
Arsenal are five points clear of Manchester City, who have two games in hand. In short, City now have the draw at the Etihad on Wednesday, and Arsenal have dropped six points in 13 days. The title is still in their hands, but it’s starting to feel like soap in the bath.
It was an extraordinary game from the first minute, when Aaron Ramsdale’s error led to Carlos Alcaraz’s goal, to the 100th, when Gabriel Jesus appealed desperately for a penalty. I don’t know what else to say. I can’t spake, and I can barely tape.
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Both sets of players look shattered, physically and mentally. It’s Arsenal’s worst result of the season, despite their stirring late comeback, while Southampton were tantalisingly close to their best result in many seasons.
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Full time: Arsenal 3-3 Southampton
After one of the games of the season, the final whistle is met with silence.
90+10 min White gets round the back in the area and lobs a cross into the six-yard box. It’s headed away desperately but only to Jesus, who goes down again in the hope of a penalty. Nothing doing.
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90+8 min Partey shoots miles wide from distance, an awful effort in conception and execution.
90+7 min Elyounoussi goes down with cramp, and play has stopped. There should be at least a couple of additional minutes on top of the original eight.
90+6 min The corner ricochets around the area and is cleared. Nelson gets away with what looked like a foul on Elyounoussi and Arsenal come again.
90+5 min Jesus miscontrols the ball in the area and then goes down wanting a penalty. About half a second later, Nelson’s deflected shot flies just wide of the near post.
90+4 min The ball is back in play, and Diallo has been booked for a foul on Jesus.
90+3 min The goalkick hasn’t been taken yet because there’s a Southampton player down. Arsenal had totally gone before Odegaard’s goal. Southampton’s fans were oléing every pass.
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90+2 min: Trossard hits the bar! Trossard charges forward from midfield, shimmies away from Ward-Prowse on the edge of the D and cracks a left-footed shot that pings the top of the crossbar!
90+2 min There’s no time to talk about the third goal because Arsenal are pushing for a fourth. The atmosphere is astonishing.
90+1 min There are EIGHT BLOODY MINUTES of added time!
Bazunu made a brilliant save from Nelson, low to his left, but Saka was first to the rebound and slid it through the legs of Bella-Kotchap and into the net. This is astonishing!
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GOAL! Arsenal 3-3 Southampton (Saka 90)
OH MY DAYS!
90 min: Great defending by Lyanco! Odegaard feeds a sharp pass into Nketiah near the penalty spot. He touches it off/miscontrols it to Jesus, whose shot hits Lyanco and spins behind.
Odegaard lends the ball to White on the edge of the area, gets it back and guides a superb shot across Bazunu into the bottom corner. There’s no real celebration, but the crowd have come alive.
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GOAL! Arsenal 2-3 Southampton (Odegaard 88)
Now then.
87 min Southampton are now playing olé football.
86 min: Southampton substitution The outstanding Romeo Lavia is replaced by Ibrahima Diallo.
85 min: Arsenal substitution Reiss Nelson replaces Martinelli, whose goal feels a long time ago.
84 min Arsenal continue to probe, but Southampton’s back ten look relatively comfortable. In fact, despite having 82 per cent of the possession in the second half, Arsenal have had no shots on target.
83 min “In marathon terms it looks like Arsenal have hit the wall,” says Stephen Bradfield. “A shame.”
The speed with which it has happened is the most surprising thing. It’s less than two weeks since they were 2-0 up at Anfield and playing like champions.
82 min A few of the Arsenal players have lost the head. You can understand why, in the circumstances, but it’s not helping them one bit.
81 min “All right,” says Charles Antaki. “The prayers, the candle, the summoning of spirits – none of that is working. Go on then Rob, let’s have that gif again now; let’s get it over.”
I can’t do it, it’s too real now.
80 min Saka’s inswinging cross from a narrow position is headed wide by Jesus. It barely brushed his head, though I think he was put off by Lyanco in front of him.
78 min Jesus does brilliantly to make space in the area and set up Trossard, whose shot is desperately blocked. The ball hits a hand, I think, but the defender was on the floor so it’s not a handball. Moments later, Saka’s shot from Martinelli’s cutback is crucially blocked by… Nketiah I think.
77 min: Double change for Southampton Kamaldeen Sulemana and Paul Onuachu replace Theo Walcott and Adam Armstrong.
76 min Adam Armstrong is booked for timewasting.
75 min There’s a break in play while one of the assistants has his technology sorted out. The Emirates is extremely quiet apart from a small group of Southampton supporters doing the Poznan.
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74 min “Uuurrrggghh,” says Rachel Clifton. “How can it be MORE stressful when we are 3-1 up?”
73 min The smallest crumb of comfort, if it stays like this, is that the title is still in Arsenal’s hands. But they would have to win rather than draw at the Etihad to keep it that way.
72 min: Arsenal substitution Eddie Nketiah replaces Oleksandr Zinchenko, who had a bit of a hot-headed stinker.
71 min “At Palace we’ve had Peter Taylor and Trevor Francis as extremely dour managers who were once flair players,” says Bobby Dunnett. “And believe it or not, we played some great stuff in the short period Steve Bruce managed us.”
70 min As things stand, Southampton are off the bottom of the table and only a point from safety.
69 min: Chance for Arsenal! An instant chance to make it 3-2. Martinelli cuts inside and floats a superb ball over the defence to Jesus, but he leans back and volleys over from eight yards. Oof, he should have scored.
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68 min Ward-Prowse, Bella-Kotchap and Caleta-Car: the double-barrelled goal that may have put one right between the eyes of Arsenal’s title challenge.
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This is unreal. Ward-Prowse’s excellent outswinging corner was headed across goal by Bella-Kotchap, and the unmarked Caleta-Car planted a header into the net from four yards. Zinchenko and Saka just let Caleta-Car run, and they paid a serious price.
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GOAL! Arsenal 1-3 Southampton (Caleta-Car 66)
Southampton have scored again, again!
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66 min Walker-Peters wins a corner after a mistake from Partey. They’ve had a relatively peaceful 2-3 minutes; every little helps.
64 min “Managers complaining about time-wasting is as old as the game,” says Adrian Riley. “No manager ever sees their own side doing it when they’re ahead, but every second wasted by the opposition when they’re leading is the worst thing they’ve ever seen, EVER! Fans are the same, of course.”
Love is blind. And, at least where football is concerned, it’s got a helluva filthy mouth on it.
62 min Saka hits the post, though it wouldn’t have counted because Martinelli had run the ball out of play before cutting it back. Southampton surely can’t hold on like this for another half an hour.
61 min Thanks to Paul Quigley for sending in the aforementioned Terry Venables line.
61 min Southampton have now switched from 5-3-2 to 5-4-1, with Walcott on the right of midfield. They’ve basically declared on two goals.
60 min “Mention of John Beck (7 min) always makes me smile in a puzzled way,” says Richard Hirst. “Playing for Fulham he was a fairly cultured midfielder - very different to the style he employed as a manager. Is there anyone else who was such a contrast between player and manager?”
There was a bloke who managed Arsenal to a couple of league titles who comes to mind. Glenn Hoddle was another playmaker who became a fantastic defensive coach.
59 min A ricochet almost runs kindly for Jesus in the six-yard box, but Bazunu pounces on the ball and then whips out War & Peace to read another chapter before kicking the ball downfield. He still hasn’t been booked.
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56 min: Arsenal substitution Leandro Trossard replaces the disappointing Fabio Vieira. Trossard, who is such a flexible player, has gone straight into Vieira’s position as the left-sided attacking central midfielder.
55 min Saka’s dangerous cross is taken away from Vieira by Lyanco (I think). Moments later Vieira stands out a chip from a tight angle that is claimed by Bazunu. Mikel Arteta is fuming about something, Bazunu’s timewasting I presume.
54 min “To adapt a silly Terry Venables line,” begins David Howell, “there are two ways for Arsenal to win the title this season. One is retroactively via City getting an FFP sanction, and that’s the only way.”
Hang on, what was the original Terry Venables line? I love that man so much. For one day – just one day – I’d love to be as comfortable in my own skin as him.
53 min Southampton can’t get out, and this could be an extremely long second half.
52 min Odegaard goes down just inside the area after a challenge from his international teammate Elyounoussi. The crowd are interested in a penalty, the referee less so. We haven’t seen a replay but Arsenal’s appeals were more hopeful than entitled.
52 min The Arsenal fans aren’t happy with Bazunu, who has had a relaxed approach to restarts all night.
51 min Plenty of Arsenal pressure now, though not yet as intense as it was at the end of the first half.
49 min “Has a team ever before twice surrendered goals in under a minute in the same season?” says Adam Hazell. “Better still, have they done that and won the league?!!”
I’d have to double check but I think it happened to Man Utd three times when they won the league in 1999-2000, away at Chelsea (final score: 0-5), Sunderland (2-2) and Wimbledon (2-2).
47 min “Does it really have to be this way, Arsenal?” says Charles Antaki. “Does it? You have a duty of care to your supporters. I’m off now to add another few candles at the shrine of Saint Santi, give the Thierry Henry prayer wheel spin or two more and, what the hell, summon up the spirit of Cliff Bastin. Something, anything.”
How about a bit of Theo Walcott for old times’ sake?
46 min Peep peep! Arsenal begin the second half.
Southampton have made a half-time change: Lyanco replaces… Carlos Alcaraz, and apparenetly it’s a tactical substitution. That’s a bit odd. I get the switch to a back five, but I wouldn’t have taken Alcaraz off.
“Just wondering, with the substitution of Bednarek for Caleta-Car are Southampton the first side to have four double barrelled players on at the same time in a Premier League game?” asks Richard English.
That’s definitely one for the Knowledge. It would probably be five players but for Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ ineligibility.
A number of you have the same question for Pete the Pedant (43 min)
“What are you, a f****n park ranger now?” (NB: Clip contains an F-word. Obviously.)
You know, I ‘ve watched The Big Lebowski at least 20 times and I’ve never noticed that quote. If that’s not an excuse reason to watch it again when I finish tonight, then I don’t know what is.
I’m just watching replays of the goals. I didn’t do justice to Martinelli’s volley, especially as he had to run away from goal to meet Saka’s cutback. It would have been so easy to shin or shank that, but he nailed it.
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Half time: Arsenal 1-2 Southampton
A nice, quiet tune-up fight for Arsenal before the Etihad? Not quite. They visited the canvas after 27 seconds, then again when Theo Walcott added to Carlos Alcaraz’s goal.
Gabriel Martinelli made it 2-1, Alcaraz cleared off the line from Ben White and there were multiple openings – if not necessarily clear chances – for Arsenal.
As if that wasn’t eventful enough, Jan Bednarek almost kicked off with the Southampton physio after being told he had to go off with concussion
45+8 min A mad scramble to end the half. After another good run from Saka, Jesus has a shot blocked, as does White.
45+7 min Bella-Kotchap has loads to time to walk forward and finds Armstrong on the left side of the area. His cutback is crucially intercepted by Gabriel at the near post. When you see a first-half performance like this, it’s hard to understand why Southampton are bottom of the table.
45+5 min This email landed a while ago, when the score was 2-0, but it’s such an eventful first half that I’ve only just seen it. “Interesting to see Zinchenko screaming at his team to keep their heads, Steven Gerrard-style,” says Niall Mullen. “EVERYBODY STAY CALM!”
45+4 min Zinchenko, who has had a poor half by his standards, is booked for a studs-up lunge at Walker-Peters.
45+3 min: Off the line by Alcaraz! Saka’s corner is headed on at the near post by White, Steve Bould-style, and Alcaraz runs back to head clear from under the bar. That was such alert defending.
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45+3 min Partey makes a vital tackle on Alcaraz – who has been outstanding by the way – on the edge of the area and Arsenal break. Saka waits and waits and then angles a lovely through pass towards Jesus. Bazunu comes, realises he’s not going to get there but stands tall to block Jesus’s shot from a tight angle.
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45+3 min Here’s Gabriel Martinelli’s goal. Have I posted it already? I honestly can’t remember.
MARTINELLI PULLS ONE BACK 🔴 pic.twitter.com/b8wrDxNZ00
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 21, 2023
45+2 min Odegaard has a snapshot blocked, then the backpedalling Holding – still up from a corner – heads over from eight yards. It wasn’t much of a chance.
45+1 min There will be – crikey - seven minutes of added time.
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43 min The plot thickens: according to the commentators on Sky, the Caleta-Car/Bednarek change was not submitted as a concussion substitute.
43 min “It was a ferret,” says Pete the Pedant, “even if the Dude famously says ‘nice marmot’ before they throw it in his bath.”
The Dude abides.
42 min Walker-Peters is booked for pulling back Martinelli. Meanwhile, Bednarek has gone back to have words with his manager. We saw a replay a moment ago and it was a really horrible fall.
41 min: Southampton substitution Duje Caleta-Car replaces Bednarek, who is stomping down the sideline in a huff. He was desperate to come back on. You can understand why he feels like that, but the medical team – particularly Steve Baynes – deserve great credit for doing the right thing.
39 min Bednarek was knocked out when he landed, so the medical team are insisting he goes off. Bednarek is desperate to play on and looks pretty hacked off, but it’s good to see such decisive action.
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39 min Bednarek is sitting up now, though he looks a bit groggy and he’s still being treated. Martinelli goes over to see if he’s okay.
37 min Martinelli makes a back for Bednarek, who lands awkwardly as a result and then stays down. He’s flat on his back and there’s a bit of concern among the players.
37 min If Southapmton go down, there will be plenty of interest in a few of their squad: Ward-Prowse, obviously, but also Lavia, Alcaraz, Walker-Peters, Livramento, Bella-Kotchap. They have some extremely good young players.
36 min Vieira stays down after a strong but fair challenge from Walker-Peters. He’s fine.
34 min Vieira shoots over from distance. I’d forgotten he was on the field, so maybe Tom Walling is right about Xhaka.
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32 min Now Perraud is booked for pulling back Saka, who is starting to cause Southampton serious problems.
31 min Walcott is back on the field, and immediately hits a low shot from 25 yards that is comfortably saved by Ramsdale.
30 min “Is it possible,” says Tom Walling, “that Granit Xhaka is like the rug in Lebowski, in that he ties the room together, and they miss him more than they thought they would?”
I mean, it’s possible, but I always had him down as the marmot in the bath.
29 min Walcott is down, which allows both managers to give their players a Powerpoint presentation.
28 min: Chance for Arsenal! Martinelli’s inswinging cross is headed over by Odegaard, unmarked 10 yards out. That was a pretty good chance, although the ball might have been slightly behind him.
27 min Alcaraz is booked for a tactical foul on Saka.
26 min: Chance for Southampton! Perraud’s deep cross is met by Elyounoussi, whose downward header is fumbled nervously by Ramsdale. Alcaraz is first to the loose ball and hooks a volley that is pushed over by Ramsdale. The second save was pretty good, the first one not so much.
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25 min Arsenal are right on the edge. That’s okay in this context, and they are now starting to overwhelm Southampton, but I’m not sure they’ll get away with being so emotional at the Etihad.
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23 min “I timed my meal according to kickoff,” says Aditi Modi. “The pizza was done heating on the stroke of kickoff. Southampton scored before I could get my pizza from the kitchen to the couch, and I live in a studio apartment.”
22 min Positive spin department: if Arsenal win this game, they will get more out of it psychologically than if they had eased to a 4-0 victory.
This is a fine goal. Zinchenko and Odegaard combined to find Saka in a bit of space on the right. He beat Perraud easily, got to the byline and cut the ball back towards the penalty spot. Martinelli, Arsenal’s best attacker so far, cracked a superb first-time volley past Bazunu with his right foot.
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GOAL! Arsenal 1-2 Southampton (Martinelli 20)
Gabriel Martinelli gets Arsenal back in the game!
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20 min As things stand Southampton are off the bottom and right back in the hunt to stay up.
19 min Zinchenko thrashes a brilliant low cross that just evades Martinelli in the six-yard box, then appeals for something non-existent.
18 min Here’s that second goal.
THEO WALCOTT SCORES AGAINST HIS OLD CLUB!!! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/25mhOwuovm
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 21, 2023
17 min Arsenal have been here before, when they came from 2-0 down to beat Bournemouth. There’s no need for Arsenal to panic yet. Even so, this is pretty extraordinary.
15 min Walcott didn’t celebrate, as you’d expect. Before the kick-off, Zinchenko called all 10 outfield players into a huddle; not sure I’ve ever seen that after a team has conceded a goal.
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It’s a goal of beautiful simplicity from Southampton. Partey (I think – edit, it was Odegaard) gave the ball away cheaply and Southampton broke forward. Alcaraz ran at a backpedalling defence, 40 yards from goal, and threaded a devastating pass inside Gabriel towards Walcott. He charged into the area and passed a first-time shot across Ramsdale, a classic Walcott finish. The Emirates is in shock.
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GOAL! Arsenal 0-2 Southampton (Walcott 14)
And now there is a problem.
13 min Martinelli, who looks really sharp, beats Walker-Peters thrillingly on the left and cuts the ball back towards Odegaard at the near post. Lavia reads it well and clears.
11 min Southampton are pressing with three up – Armstrong, Walcott and Alcaraz – which is what led to the goal. I can’t quite work out their shape, but I do know their approach is admirably aggressive.
10 min “Man Utd’s collapse yesterday certainly illustrates the importance of competent depth at centre-back,” says Harriet Osborn. “I wonder if this injury situation will lead to the winger-as-wing-back stuff that we’ve seen from Chelsea and Brighton. Trossard’s not half bad at it if memory serves.”
I can’t see it, at least not with this Arsenal team. Their formation is so entrenched, and they are already okay for attacking left-backs. Agree about Trossard though; he played really well there for Brighton in that 3-1-5-1 formation or whatever it was. I did wonder whether Jakub Kiwior might have played at centre-back tonight with City in mind, but it’s probably too soon.
8 min Another corner for Arsenal, who are into their work after that false start. Martinelli’s cross is pushed away by Bazunu as far as Zinchenko, who shoots over from 25 yards.
7 min All I’ll say is, John Beck’s Cambridge never conceded a goal like this.
OH MY WORD 🤯
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 21, 2023
Barely 30 seconds in and Carlos Alcaraz puts Southampton ahead after a shocker from Aaron Ramsdale! pic.twitter.com/T1kZVTwldr
6 min Odegaard, on the left following a corner, plays a one-two with Partey in the area and stabs the ball into the side netting from a very tight angle.
6 min “Well,” says Russell Eberts, “that’s one way to avoid giving up a 2-0 lead again.”
5 min Theo Walcott is playing up front for Southampton, with Alcaraz on the right wing.
5 min Arsenal come to life through Martinelli, who beats four players during a thrilling run from the halfway line. The last man Bella-Kotchap shows good pace to stick with Martinelli and usher the ball out of play.
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4 min Ruben Selles promised Arsenal would press high, but not even he could have imagined such an instant dividend.
3 min That was pretty remarkable. Ramsdale was trying to slide a pass into Zinchenko but he didn’t connect properly at all and just gave it straight to Alcaraz.
I can’t spake. Aaron Ramsdale played a truly awful pass, straight to Alcaraz on the edge of the D. He took a couple of touches and whipped a shot that went through the right hand of the diving Ramsdale and into the net.
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GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Southampton (Alcaraz 1)
Arsenal go behind after 27 seconds!
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1 min Peep peep! Southampton, in their turquoise away strip, kick off from right to left as weatch.
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“I just took a trip down to memory lane to check The Joy of Six part about 26 May 1989,” says Admir Pajic. “Perhaps it’s a sign that our title decider at Etihad is scheduled for 26th. Or that we have a player wearing ‘Thomas’ on his back.
Perhaps Arteta will go with an extra centre-back on that night. We will need a goal, Partey will charge through the midfield and the commentator who fails to scream ‘Thomas...it’s up for grabs now’ should never get another game.
“My worry is, my son celebrates his 2nd birthday on 26 April. If we lose, should I move his birthday in forthcoming years to either 25th or 27th?”
Is that how birthdays work now? I knew I was out of touch with the modern world, but I thought I was still up to speed on birthdays.
Here come the players, to a predictably loving reception from the home fans. It’s been a life-affirming eight months for Emirates regulars. But unless Arsenal see through, they might not want to touch the memories. Few things sting quite like a title that got away.
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The managers’ pre-match thoughts
Mikel Arteta and Ruben Selles talk ahead of Arsenal and Southampton's clash 👔🗣️ pic.twitter.com/OVFl0vv517
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 21, 2023
“Perhaps my glass is half-full,” begins Andrew Hurley, “but isn’t a seven-point lead a potentially very positive thing, City not being invincible, and am I the only one who thinks Arsenal should have to get something next week to prove they are the better team and deserve to be champions?
“I think they will, probably a draw, and to come into the match with everyone saying City have already won the league/Arsenal have bottled it (delete as appropriate) probably suits them very well. But, Saliba...”
The one good thing about the West Ham result is that it takes away any subconscious thought that you can afford to lose at City. Now you know you have to get at least a draw, which could actually be liberating. But, Saliba…
Ten minutes to kick off
Which is as good a time as any to remind you of the teams.
Arsenal (4-1-2-3) Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey; Odegaard, Vieira; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Substitutes: Turner, Tierney, Kiwior, Walters, Smith Rowe, Jorginho, Nketiah, Trossard, Nelson.
Southampton (4-2-3-1) Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap, Perraud; Ward-Prowse, Lavia; Walcott, Alcaraz, Elyounoussi; A Armstrong.
Substitutes: McCarthy, Aribo, Lyanco, Caleta-Car, S Armstrong, Sulemana, Diallo, Orsic, Onuachu.
Referee Simon Hooper.
“This Premier League season has been a heck of a ride,” says Aditi Modi. “I’ll be sorry when it ends, no matter HOW it ends. And this matchup has a peculiar feel to it, not just for the title race, but also for the fight to avoid relegation, which has been more fascinating than the two-horse title race. I’m stress-eating frozen pizza for this one!”
“Very stressed about this one,” says Rachel Clifton, and she’s not talking as an Arsenal fan. “At least it’s a gorgeous spring day in nyc (that I am missing to sit inside the pub to watch the football obvs).”
“Rob, I assume that you have an army of sulky interns who do your bidding, as you sit back in your easy chair and watch the game while sipping something enjoyable?” says Charles Antaki. “If so, you might get them to look out one of those ‘Game Over!’ gifs from old video games to play when Arsenal go 3-2 down after being 2-0 up. Just to beat the rush, I’m getting my fatalism in now.”
Just for you, Charles, my army of sulky interns have I’ve popped into the future and brought back some footage of Theo Walcott’s winning goal tonight.
“You’ve made a Rams fan happy by mentioning that 2-1 win over Arsenal just before they were champions in 1989,” says David Hopkins. “As a footnote, Derby actually did the double over the Gunners that season. I was behind the goal when Phil Gee won it with a proper screamer.”
That Phil Gee goal is a belter. It’s on my (very) longlist of goals to do if I ever sort out a sports history website.
Give your ribs a pre-match tickle by reading the latest from David Squires
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Injury latest
This is a huge blow for Arsenal, compounded by the injury to Takehiro Tomiyasu which means they can’t move Ben White across from right-back.
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The state of play
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 31 | 43 | 74 |
| 2 | Man City | 30 | 50 | 70 |
| 19 | Leicester | 31 | -14 | 25 |
| 20 | Southampton | 31 | -29 | 23 |
Arsenal can go seven points clear tonight, which is slightly hard to reconcile with the mood after last weekend’s draw at West Ham. The precedent of 1988-89 should provide a bit of comfort for Arsenal fans: a young, vibrant side led the table for much of the season, before being slowly, inexorably, heartbreakingly reeled in by the serial champions.
And then came one of the greatest twists in football history, one that nobody on the planet saw coming. Nobody, that is, apart from George Graham.
Team news
Two changes for Arsenal from the West Ham game. Oleksandr Zinchenko returns at left-back in place of Kieran Tierney, and Fabio Vieira is in for the unwell Granit Xhaka.
Ruben Selles makes three changes to the Southampton team that lost at home to Crystal Palace last weekend. Romain Perraud, Mohamed Elyounoussi and Adam Armstrong are in for Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who is ineligible against his parent club, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Joe Aribo.
Arsenal (4-1-2-3) Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey; Odegaard, Vieira; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Substitutes: Turner, Tierney, Kiwior, Walters, Smith Rowe, Jorginho, Nketiah, Trossard, Nelson.
Southampton (4-2-3-1) Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap, Perraud; Ward-Prowse, Lavia; Walcott, Alcaraz, Elyounoussi; A Armstrong.
Substitutes: McCarthy, Aribo, Lyanco, Caleta-Car, S Armstrong, Sulemana, Diallo, Orsic, Onuachu.
Referee Simon Hooper.
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To lose one superstar with an ACL injury might be considered unfortunate. To lose three suggests football, never mind Arsenal, has some urgent research to do.
Look out!
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Arsenal v Southampton at the Emirates. After a disastrous run of two games without a win, Arsenal hope this will be a nice tune-up fight ahead of the probable title decider in Manchester next Wednesday.
I’m loath to say this is a must-win game for Arsenal, because Derby and Wimbledon in May 1989 were supposed to be must-wins and look how that panned out, but it certainly feels that way. Arsenal need a restorative victory to change the mood ahead of what is probably the club’s biggest game in 17 years. If they fail to win tonight, the noise and/or fatalism could become unbearable.
Southampton should be an easy mark, though you can never be completely sure in this league of ours. They’ve taken points off three of the top five this season, including a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the return game at St Mary’s. But they are four points from safety with time running out, and odds of 12/1 in a two-horse race tell a story. If Southampton are going to pull off a great escape, this would be the perfect time – and place – to get started.
Kick off 8pm.
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