Southampton To Exploit Arsenal Injury Crisis

Arsenal are due to clash with Southampton at the Saint Mary’s this weekend and Unai Emery might not have it all that easy against a relegation-threatened side.

The Gunners have let in 20 goals already this Premier League season and are set to be without any of their first choice centre-backs against Southampton. Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos are facing suspension and Rob Holding has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with injury. Konstantinos Mavropanos is also questionable due to pain from his groin area.

Emery will have to rely upon Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal and Stephan Lichtsteiner. Koscielny is coming fresh off of an Achilles tendon injury with just 70 minutes of action registered this season against Qarabag. The 33-year-old Frenchman was not at his best last term and might find it difficult to jump into the pace of the Premier League so soon.

New boss, Ralph Hasenhüttl has been tasked with returning this Southampton side back into the safe zone. He will be looking to exploit some of Arsenal’s weaknesses at home.

The Gunners faithful will be thrilled to see Mesut Ozil back in the lineup with the attacking front fit and firing on all cylinders. Alexandre Lacazette found the back of the net in the mid-week game and has increased his tally to 8 for the season, 4 behind his strike partner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.