Southampton – Arsenal

Southampton hosts Arsenal in a game from the fourth round of the FA Cup. The match will be played at the St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton.

Arsenal won four of their last five games in the Premier League, showing some solid form lately. They needed a penalty aganst Burnley in the last game at the Emirates, but they still did enough to win the match and it’s the most important thing in the end.

Southampton on the other hand lost four consecutive games in the league, before finally beating the champions Leicestery City to stop this terrible run of results for the club.

Arsenal will be without the Swiss international Granit Xhaka, who is suspended for the straight red card he recieved against Burnley in the last game. Santi Cazorla is also unavaliable because of an injury, while the good news come from the recovery of Francis Coquelin. The right back Hector Bellerin is also fit to play, returning to the bench for the Burnley game.

Theo Walcott, Mathieu Debuchy and Per Mertesacker are also not avaliable for Arsenal because of injuries. It’s possible to see Danny Welbeck back in the starting eleven of Arsene Wenger, who could give a rest to the French international Olivier Giroud.

The biggest problem for Southampton’s manager Claude Puel is the injury of the central defender Virgil van Dijk, who is still recovering from an ankle injury. Sofiane Boufal and Steven Davis are also still recovering, so they are doubtful for the clash at the St Mary’s Stadium. Charlie Austin remains sidelined until April.

Arsenal are clearly the favourite in this game, but it’s the FA Cup, so everything is possible. The Gunners won the trophy two consecutive times in 2014 and 2015, so this year most certain they will aim to do it again.