Jurrien Timber and Ben White may miss out. (Image: GETTY)
Arsenal aim to continue their unbeaten start to the season and Premier League title challenge when lowly Southampton visit the Emirates Stadium this afternoon. Mikel Arteta’s side are fresh off an impressive 2-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, adding to their growing momentum.
Gunners captain Martin Odegaard, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney remain injury absentees. Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are doubts.
Express Sport looks at the likely Arsenal starting line-up against Southampton ahead of the October international break.
Arsenal’s predicted XI vs Southampton (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Raya
David Raya is level with Liverpool’s Alisson and Manchester United’s Andre Onana at the front of the Golden Glove race, keeping three clean sheets in six Premier League games.
Defence: Calafiori, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior
It could be too early for White and Timber to start after they were withdrawn from training on Thursday to manage their load.
Jakub Kiwior looks to be in line to replace Timber in the only change from Tuesday’s triumph over PSG, with Calafiori keeping his spot on the opposite side.
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are forming one of the most formidable centre-back partnerships in Europe.
They will be the two first names on Arteta’s team sheet and potentially the fuel behind Arsenal’s first Premier League title since 2004.
Mikel Arteta is eyeing a fourth straight win. (Image: Getty)
Midfield: Partey, Rice, Havertz
In an unchanged midfield, Thomas Partey, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz are all almost certain to start again.
Summer signing Mikel Merino provided Arteta with a major boost in midweek by coming off the bench against PSG.
But the Southampton clash will surely be deemed too early to throw him into the starting line-up, leaving Partey and Rice’s positions safe for now.
Havertz is gunning to find the net in a fifth successive Premier League game and the seventh in all competitions.
Attack: Saka, Martinelli, Trossard
Arteta has started to deploy Leandro Trossard as his centre forward to great effect, watching him score against Leicester City last weekend and register an assist against PSG.
Bukayo Saka has registered an assist in five of Arsenal’s six league games this term and scored his second goal in all competitions in midweek.
He is a certain starter on the right side of the hosts’ attack, with Gabriel Martinelli likely to keep his place on the left amid a recent resurgence.
The 23-year-old has contributed three direct goal involvements in Arsenal’s last two Premier League outings.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1957555/Arsenal-team-news-Predicted-XI-Southampton-Jurrien-Timber-Ben-White-FPL