Preview: Southampton v Arsenal

We wrap up our 2024/25 campaign with a trip to Southampton on Sunday (4pm UK), as we look to sew up a season that saw us hit new heights on a high.

With second spot virtually assured, we will be hoping to secure three more points to end a four-year wait for a win at St Mary’s, which would extend further with the Saints planning for life in the Championship next term after a disastrous campaign.

David Raya will also hope to claim back-to-back Golden Gloves with another clean sheet, and that coupled with an away victory would be the perfect way to crown a campaign which saw us make huge progress in Europe, and put a spring in our step as we look to make further strides in 2025/26.

Hellacious year for the Saints

Southampton fans could barely have envisaged how badly their return to the Premier League would go. Russell Martin collected just five points from the first 16 games before he was sacked in mid-December, and he was followed by Ivan Juric who lasted just four months, having added the same total to the board.

That left the south-coast club on the brink of breaking Derby County’s all-time Premier League record low points tally of 11, but caretaker boss Simon Rusk has managed to avoid that unwanted accolade. A 93rd-minute strike from Lesley Ugochukwu grabbed a draw at West Ham United, before a backs-to-the-wall display saw them stun Manchester City by claiming a 0-0 draw in their last home match.

Just two victories have been claimed in the league all campaign - one at home against Everton in November, and the other at fellow relegated side Ipswich Town in February, meaning a last-day defeat at our hands would see them become the first team to lose 30 times in a single Premier League campaign.

What the managers say

Arteta: “There’s motivation because you want to have as many points as possible. You are always here representing this club to win and to play in the manner that we want to do.

“We still want to achieve the best defensive record, the Golden Glove is still to play for and finish the season again on a high with a good test and always respecting the competition.”

Rusk: "Everyone this year at this football club, as difficult as it has been, when we reflect, will have new layers as a person, a footballer. Part of that is being robust and the more experience I think you have in life, the more robust you can be if you use it properly.

"Every game presents an opportunity. It's an opportunity for us to finish the season as well as we can. I spoke about playing with pride and passion - that'll be important on the day but also being diligent with our work."

Team news

William Saliba will be unavailable for this game after tweaking a hamstring in last weekend’s win over Newcastle United, while Jurrien Timber has undergone ankle surgery and also won’t make the trip to the south coast.

Mikel Merino is available again after suspension, while Gabriel, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Jesus will continue their recoveries from long-term injury over the summer months. Mikel Arteta will serve a touchline ban for this game after collecting a third caution of the season against the Magpies.

Rusk has defensive headaches in that Taylor Harwood-Bellis will miss out with an ankle injury sustained late on in their 2-0 loss at Everton last weekend and Jan Bednarek, who missed the trip to Goodison Park, continues to struggle with a knee problem.

Loanee Albert Gronbaek will be out with an Achilles problem, while out of contact Kyle Walker-Peters has missed the last couple of games through illness and may not be utilised.

Talking tactics

Adrian Clarke: Matches like this, with nothing at stake on the final day, tend to be a little more open than normal and are often high-scoring affairs, so we could see the Saints release the handbrake a little. Yet the form book tells us they will set out to frustrate.

Rusk has organised the side very well in recent weeks, usually in a 3-4-2-1 formation that becomes a 5-4-1 when they do not have the ball. If the way they played against Manchester City is anything to go by, that will be their primary shape. In general, they have sacrificed possession a lot more since Juric left the club, so we can expect the hosts to set up in a low block, trying to frustrate us with a solid defensive shape.

Despite suffering a long, challenging campaign, the Saints do have two excellent young players to look out for, who will be eager to impress against us. Both are likely to play in the attacking midfield spots, so we must ensure there is not too much space for Mateus Fernandes and Tyler Dibling [above] to get on the ball between the lines. These two talents can produce moments of real quality in and around the box.

Of late Rusk has started Kamaldeen Sulemana as his main striker. He is a winger with electric pace, which means they will look to release him with balls over the top on counters. Another option for them in attack is giant centre forward Paul Onuachu. He’s their top scorer with four goals and is a serious threat in the air given his 6'7" frame.

Facts and stats

A point would guarantee we finish as runners-up for a third consecutive season. In top-flight history, there have been only four instances of a side finishing second three times in a row, with ourselves the last to do so (1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01).

This is the first time we will end a Premier League season away from Emirates Stadium since 2018/19, when we beat Burnley 3-1 at Turf Moor.

We have lost just two of our last 16 league games against Southampton (W8 D6).

We have won our final Premier League game of the season 23 times, more than any other side in the competition’s history, including each of the last 13.

We haven’t conceded more than twice in any of our 57 matches in all competitions. Only twice in the Premier League era has a side gone through an entire campaign without conceding 3+ goals in a game (Manchester United in 2007/08 (57) and 2017/18 (56). The only top-flight team to play more without conceding 3+ is Liverpool (62 in 1970/71 and 63 in 1985/86).

Bukayo Saka has more Premier League assists against Southampton (5) than he does against any other side.

Four of our players have scored 10+ goals in all competitions this season: Havertz (15), Saka (12), Trossard (10) and Martinelli (10). With Rice, Merino and Nwaneri all on nine, we could have five players reach double figures for the first time since 2010/11. We have never had six players do so in a single campaign.

Tyler Dibling has failed to win any of his 20 starts in the Premier League. Only Michael Kightly (23, 2009-2012), Gareth Bale (22, 2007-2010) and Nicky Summerbee (21, 1993-1994) have begun their Premier League careers with a longer run.

Match officials

Experienced official Darren Bond has been handed this game, and will be just the second time he has refereed us, with the other occasion coming back in September 2023 when we beat Brentford in the League Cup third round. In contrast, Bond has refereed the Saints four times this season alone, which saw them beat Everton on penalties in the same competition but lose to Aston Villa and Brighton in league action.

In his 13 Premier League outings this term, the Lancashire official averages 4.2 yellow cards a game, has shown one red card and awarded five penalties, which all came in just two different matches.

Referee: Darren Bond
Assistants: Marc Perry, George Byrne
Fourth official: Gavin Ward
VAR: Graham Scott
Assistant VAR: James Mainwaring

Recent trips to ST MARY'S

St Mary’s has been a difficult place for us to visit in recent times, as we have won just three of our last 12 Premier League away games there. The last time we visited was back in October 2022 when Granit Xhaka put us ahead before we were pegged back by a Stuart Armstrong strike.

Six months earlier, a Jan Bednarek goal handed the hosts all three points, while the Saints also knocked us out of the FA Cup on their own patch in 2020/21 courtesy of a Gabriel own goal. However three days later we ran out 3-1 victors at the same venue with Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette getting on the scoresheet.

In fact, all eight of Southampton’s Premier League wins against us have come in home games - the most victories one team has against another in the competition without any coming away from home.

Live coverage

Tune into Live From N5 just before kick-off to hear live commentary of the game provided by Dan Roebuck and Adrian Clarke, who will guide you through all the action if you’re out and about.

You can also find out which broadcasters are showing the action live wherever you are in the world.