Southampton visit the Emirates on Wednesday night in what will be a fierce contest. The Saints have been a revelation so far this season as they currently sit in third position in the league. Ronald Koeman’s side have shown glimpses of a Champions League side, as they continue to surge on.
Arsenal come off the back of two great performances and managed to grab the maximum points in the process. Danny Welbeck and co face a challenging midweek test, however I expect Arsenal to take all three points.
The Player To Watch
Whether he starts or not, Olivier Giroud is the player to watch against Southampton. Koeman’s Southampton side are difficult to break down as they have midfield enforcers and hard working team spirit, to try neutralise any attacking play. Giroud has fantastic aerial ability and his presence alone, will test both Fonte & Alderweireld. Although both the Southampton defenders are not the quickest, and perhaps Welbeck would be better suited up front, Giroud has the strength and hold up play to bring others into the game. Just like we saw at West Brom, Giroud may have Welbeck to his left, Cazorla behind him and Sanchez on the right. The latter two are certainly capable to cause both technical problems for Southampton, although Sanchez is more direct, and could really disrupt the Southampton defence.
Olivier Giroud brings another dimension to corners for Arsenal; for which we have been dreadful at this season. Giroud is quite a huge figure (6ft 4in), so the corner taker shouldn’t find it difficult to find the Frenchman in the box. These kind of set pieces could be useful, if Arsenal utilise these effectively, we could maybe create a chance to score.
It’s up to Arsene whether Olivier Giroud starts. The rapid return from injury, has significantly boosted Arsenal’s attacking options. It would be great to see the Frenchman start.