Match Focus: Arsenal Gunning for Glory on Unhappy Hunting Ground
Boxing Day’s full fixture list ends at St. Mary’s when Southampton host Arsenal. The two teams come into the encounter in contrasting form. Saints have failed to win any of their last five league matches, with the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham their fourth defeat in that run. Conversely, the Gunners have lost just one of their last six Premier League matches, with Monday night’s 2-1 win over Manchester City cementing their spot as title favourites for the first time since December 2013.
Only Leicester (21) have won more points away from home in England’s top tier this term than Arsenal (19), however Wenger's men have struggled at St. Mary’s in the past. The Gunners have failed to win any of their last four league meetings with Saints on the south coast, and in fact succumbed to a 2-0 loss to Ronald Koeman's side at the turn of the year. Nevertheless, they come into this fixture as overwhelming favourites to secure all three points and it’s expected they will look to their forward pairing of Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud as a means of finding the goals.
Ozil to Giroud is the joint-best assist to goalscorer return (6 goals) in the Premier League this season, with the duo linking up once more on Monday night to secure all three points at the Citizens’ expense. Both players are in fine form coming into this encounter and, with Arsene Wenger not expecting Alexis Sanchez back from injury before Saturday; the pair will again spearhead the offensive for the north London side.
Ozil has been exceptional for Arsenal this term having fully settled into his surroundings in the capital. The Germany international has registered more assists (15) and played more key passes (67) than any other player in Europe’s top 5 leagues this season, while only Angel Di Maria (17) has created more clear-cut goalscoring opportunities than Ozil (16) on the continent.
In the Premier League, only Riyad Mahrez (8.37) has gained a better WhoScored rating than the 27-year-old (7.85) this term, with some suggesting the pairing - along with Leicester’s Jamie Vardy - are the frontrunners for the Player of the Season award. Ozil can reinforce his credentials with a fine showing against Saints, and one can expect his creative qualities to be maximised against Ronald Koeman’s side.
With a direct hand in at least one goal in his last 11 league appearances - 13 assists and 2 goals in that time - he will be hot property in Buabook’s match market. Nevertheless, I will buy shares in Ozil if they become available for less than £0.50 against a Southampton side with just 1 point from a possible 15.
Meanwhile, though Giroud’s goalscoring record has been called into question on a number of occasions in the past, the Frenchman is at present ruthlessly efficient in front of goal. The striker has six goals to his name in his last four competitive outings and has three goals from his last five meetings with Saints. Given the hosts' defensive woes at present - only West Brom (16) and Everton (15) have conceded more goals at home than Saints (13) in the Premier League this season - Giroud’s rich vein of goalscoring form comes at just the wrong time for the home side in Saturday’s fixture.
Moreover, the Arsenal forward has scored in five of his last six away games in the Premier League, so he will be confident of improving that record this weekend. Like Ozil, his shares will also be in high demand but I would buy at £0.70 on Buabook, convinced that Giroud will prove a thorn in the side of Saints' backline.
That isn’t to say Saints won’t provide an attacking threat of their own, however. One of the shining lights in their dreary season thus far has been the immediate impact of the marauding Cedric Soares. The Portuguese right-back was signed from Sporting as Nathaniel Clyne’s replacement in defence and has impressed so far. The 24-year-old’s WhoScored rating (7.35) is the second best of all Saints players and is enough to secure a place in the Premier League team of the season ahead of their Boxing Day outing.
Capable of providing an offensive threat from deep, yet boasting the defensive know how to recover from any runs forward, Soares will likely be one of Saints’ main attacking outlets against Arsenal. With Nacho Monreal the more conservative of the Gunners’ two full-backs, the Saints right-back may have the space required to flex his creative muscles. If the south coast side are to secure a positive result, Soares can be expected to play a key role.
Nevertheless, it may not be enough for Saints to stop Arsenal. The Gunners are one of the Premier League’s in-form teams and rightly come into this fixture as favourites. Granted, St. Mary’s hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Arsene Wenger’s side in recent seasons, but anything less than three points could be considered something of a disappointment for Arsenal.
You can trade the values of any of the players on display as Southampton host Arsenal with Buabook, the first player trading exchange based on detailed statistics
