
Southampton’s final Premier League fixture for at least a season is one of the tougher send-offs they could have received, as they welcome Arsenal to St Mary’s.
It has been a painful campaign for Southampton fans. They have seen their team win just two games, and if they lose on Sunday, that would mean a total of 30 defeats.
Even a result against the Gunners wouldn’t be much consolation, as they will finish bottom by some distance regardless.
For this game in isolation, though, the Saints can at least take some encouragement from the fact they held Manchester City to a goalless draw two weeks ago. They faced 26 shots and 15 corners that afternoon, and would probably be on the end of a similar onslaught if Arsenal fail to break them down.
Arsenal have not taken the leap forward their supporters might have hoped for this season, though they have been superb since half-time at Anfield on May 11th.
Having fought back to earn a point at Liverpool, and then defeated Newcastle at the Emirates, the Gunners are almost certain to be Premier League runners-up for the third year in a row.
The target was to go one better, but Mikel Arteta has plenty of credit in the bank, especially given their European run and the injuries they have had to deal with.
A win here would continue the positive momentum into pre-season, where they will surely spend big.
Southampton have made life awkward for Arsenal in recent seasons. They earned a pair of draws against the Gunners in the 2022-23 season, a pair of slips that opened the door for Manchester City to beat the North London side to the title.
Arteta might have feared that history was set to repeat itself this season, as Cameron Archer gave the Saints the lead at the Emirates Stadium. Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka scored in the second half to ensure that didn’t happen.
Saka also netted in Arsenal’s latest win at St Mary’s, a 3-1 triumph in January 2021.
Arsenal will expect to win comfortably on Sunday, but clean sheets have typically been hard to come by for them in this fixture.
Their forwards will fancy their chances of boosting their goal tally for the campaign against the league’s worst defence.
The best bet for this fixture is a bet builder including both Welington and Tyler Dibling to commit a foul.
Myles Lewis-Skelly and Saka are expected to start for Arsenal on the final day, and it’s generally good business to get on board with fouls involving their direct opponents.
In Lewis-Skelly’s case, that will likely be Dibling, who plays off the right for the Saints. He makes 1.44 fouls per 90, and hasn’t slowed down since Southampton’s relegation was confirmed.
Wellington averages 1.49 fouls per 90 for the Saints albeit over a smaller sample. He was penalised three times from left wing back against Everton last week, and Saka (fouled 1.98 times per 90) is the ideal opponent in terms of backing him to give away a free-kick on Sunday.
It’s all about pride for Southampton and I don’t expect them to simply roll over for Arsenal. Remember, they stood firm against Man City only two weeks ago in what was a crucial game for the visitors.
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