Match preview



Arsene Wenger is wary of making too many
changes when Arsenal play their third Barclays
Premier League match in seven days at
Southampton.
Arsenal have enjoyed a productive festive period
so far, recording 2-1 victories at home to Queens
Park Rangers on Boxing Day and at West Ham
United two days later. Their New Year's Day match
at St Mary's Stadium represents their third fixture
in quick succession, and the Arsenal manager
concedes it is a difficult task to maintain their
winning momentum while giving players sufficient
rest.
"We have Southampton which is another game that
will demand a high intensity and commitment, so I
will have to look at how we recovered because we
gave a lot in the last two games in 48 hours," he
said. "It's down now to the quality of the recovery.
"Rotation is a sensitive subject because you can
destabilise your team with too much rotation. So you
have to find the right numbers for rotating the
team. Overall, you want to keep the balance of
your team and as well refresh sometimes in the
positions where players are a bit tired."
Tomas Rosicky made his first Barclays Premier
League start of the season against QPR before
being rested for the trip to the Boleyn Ground and
Wenger confirmed that the Czech midfielder would
return to the fray on Thursday. Wenger has a
fitness concern over Danny Welbeck, whom he felt
would be "short" for the game after sustaining a
thigh problem at West Ham.
Olivier Giroud is still suspended following his red
card against QPR so Alexis Sanchez could be in line
to fill the central striking role, while Aaron
Ramsey (hamstring), Mesut Ozil (knee), Mikel
Arteta (calf) and Jack Wilshere (ankle) remain
out.
Having confounded many pre-season predictions,
Southampton head into the clash fourth in the
table, above Arsenal on goal difference. Ronald
Koeman led his side to a spirited 1-1 draw with
league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, while the
south-coast club frustrated Arsenal for much of
the pair's meeting just four weeks ago at Emirates
Stadium, before the match was won late on by
Sanchez.
Despite the grit in those performances to go with
Southampton's abundance of creativity, Koeman
remains cautious.
"Maybe we can come and surprise people," he
said. "Arsenal are always one of the top clubs in
the Premier League because they have very good
players like Sanchez, who can win games.
"We don't have those sorts of players, we're more
about teamwork. The top four is not an obsession
because I don't like to watch every weekend the
table because it means nothing [until the end]."
Morgan Schneiderlin misses out through suspension,
while Nathaniel Clyne (ankle) is injured and
Emmanuel Mayuka has departed for the Africa
Cup of Nations.

Southampton (from): K Davis, Forster, Gazzaniga,
Alderweireld, Bertrand, Fonte, Gardos, Targett,
Yoshida, Cork, S Davis, Isgrove, Mane, McQueen,
Reed, Tadic, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, Gallagher,
Long, Pelle.

Arsenal (from): Martinez, Ospina, Szczesny,
Chambers, Debuchy, Gibbs, Koscielny, Mertesacker,
Monreal, Cazorla, Coquelin, Flamini, Gnabry,
Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosicky, Alexis, Campbell,
Podolski, Sanogo, Walcott, Welbeck.

Match Appointments
Referee: Craig Pawson Assistants: S Long, S Burt
Fourth Official: S Attwell

St.mary's Stadium,assnal don enter one chance

Full time scores:
Southampton 2:1 Arsenal

Arsenal winning this match whether the devil likes it or not. By the end of the match we will leapfrog past Sotton into the fourth position. Boshe maje niyen!

Sotin 1 - O Arsenal....no doubt

Djhack1:
Sotin 1 - O Arsenal....no doubt

i agree wt u small

I wonder why Podolski doesn't start...anyways, we ain't gonna lose the game! We ain't gonna draw it either.

Full team: Szczesny, Debuchy, Mertesacker,
Koscielny, Gibbs, Coquelin, Chambers, Oxlade-
Chamberlain, Cazorla, Rosicky, Alexis
Subs: Martinez, Monreal, Bellerin, Maitland-
Niles, Campbell, Walcott, Akpom

chambers and coquelin start as DM

keandre:
Match preview



Arsene Wenger is wary of making too many
changes when Arsenal play their third Barclays
Premier League match in seven days at
Southampton.
Arsenal have enjoyed a productive festive period
so far, recording 2-1 victories at home to Queens
Park Rangers on Boxing Day and at West Ham
United two days later. Their New Year's Day match
at St Mary's Stadium represents their third fixture
in quick succession, and the Arsenal manager
concedes it is a difficult task to maintain their
winning momentum while giving players sufficient
rest.
"We have Southampton which is another game that
will demand a high intensity and commitment, so I
will have to look at how we recovered because we
gave a lot in the last two games in 48 hours," he
said. "It's down now to the quality of the recovery.
"Rotation is a sensitive subject because you can
destabilise your team with too much rotation. So you
have to find the right numbers for rotating the
team. Overall, you want to keep the balance of
your team and as well refresh sometimes in the
positions where players are a bit tired."
Tomas Rosicky made his first Barclays Premier
League start of the season against QPR before
being rested for the trip to the Boleyn Ground and
Wenger confirmed that the Czech midfielder would
return to the fray on Thursday. Wenger has a
fitness concern over Danny Welbeck, whom he felt
would be "short" for the game after sustaining a
thigh problem at West Ham.
Olivier Giroud is still suspended following his red
card against QPR so Alexis Sanchez could be in line
to fill the central striking role, while Aaron
Ramsey (hamstring), Mesut Ozil (knee), Mikel
Arteta (calf) and Jack Wilshere (ankle) remain
out.
Having confounded many pre-season predictions,
Southampton head into the clash fourth in the
table, above Arsenal on goal difference. Ronald
Koeman led his side to a spirited 1-1 draw with
league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, while the
south-coast club frustrated Arsenal for much of
the pair's meeting just four weeks ago at Emirates
Stadium, before the match was won late on by
Sanchez.
Despite the grit in those performances to go with
Southampton's abundance of creativity, Koeman
remains cautious.
"Maybe we can come and surprise people," he
said. "Arsenal are always one of the top clubs in
the Premier League because they have very good
players like Sanchez, who can win games.
"We don't have those sorts of players, we're more
about teamwork. The top four is not an obsession
because I don't like to watch every weekend the
table because it means nothing [until the end]."
Morgan Schneiderlin misses out through suspension,
while Nathaniel Clyne (ankle) is injured and
Emmanuel Mayuka has departed for the Africa
Cup of Nations.

Southampton (from): K Davis, Forster, Gazzaniga,
Alderweireld, Bertrand, Fonte, Gardos, Targett,
Yoshida, Cork, S Davis, Isgrove, Mane, McQueen,
Reed, Tadic, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, Gallagher,
Long, Pelle.

Arsenal (from): Martinez, Ospina, Szczesny,
Chambers, Debuchy, Gibbs, Koscielny, Mertesacker,
Monreal, Cazorla, Coquelin, Flamini, Gnabry,
Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosicky, Alexis, Campbell,
Podolski, Sanogo, Walcott, Welbeck.

Match Appointments
Referee: Craig Pawson Assistants: S Long, S Burt
Fourth Official: S Attwell

Arsenal all the way winning Southampton 2goals to 1. If you believe Arsenal would win click like and so shall it be IJN......

Now, Giroud's unnwarranted behaviour looks even more stupid...Podoski is out injured, Welbeck injured,..Flamini injured....Chambers is xo reckless...Sanchez is exhausted,..pray God help us today