'It's in our hands' - Arteta 'confident' for Saints test

William Saliba has not featured for Arsenal since being forced off against Sporting in the Europa League on 16 March

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he is "very confident" his Premier League leaders can return to winning ways when they host Southampton on Friday.

"What we are playing for is something incredible," said Arteta. "The club hasn't fought for this position for a long, long time.

"It's in our hands. We want to do it."

While Arsenal could extend their lead over City to seven points with victory over Southampton, Pep Guardiola's side will have two games in hand when they host the Gunners at Etihad Stadium next Wednesday.

The back-to-back draws against Liverpool and West Ham, compounded by City's run of six successive league wins, mean Arsenal can now ill afford to drop more points.

"I'm very confident," continued Arteta. "Twists and turns are part of anything you do, especially in football.

"Whatever the aim or the target is, it is not going to go in a linear progression. You have to know that and prepare for that.

"Maybe we got too comfortable at some stage in the (West Ham) game. I don't have to coach them because they said it straight away.

"They know, it's in their system, it's in the gut and we have to show it."

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TEAM NEWS

Arteta is uncertain whether Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is nursing a groin issue, will be available for Friday's match.

William Saliba remains sidelined by a back injury which Arteta admits is taking longer to heal than anticipated.

Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny are long-term absentees.

Southampton's Ainsley Maitland-Niles is ineligible against his parent club but Mislav Orsic is back in contention after overcoming a hip problem.

Che Adams, Mohammed Salisu and Juan Larios are still injured, while this game may come too soon for Tino Livramento.

The Saints are currently bottom of the table, four points from safety.

CHRIS SUTTON'S PREDICTION

Arsenal will still be stinging after letting a two-goal lead slip in their draw with West Ham last weekend. It is that sort of result that makes the doubts creep in when you are a player.

I remember when I won the title with Blackburn in 1995, we lost 3-2 at home to Manchester City in April, in a game where we led twice. We were a quite a young team, like Arsenal are now, and it hurt us. We got over the line in the end, but the City defeat was probably the first time we began to feel nervous.

That's what might be happening at Arsenal now. Their players will have felt sick going into the dressing room at London Stadium at full-time last Sunday and dropping points like that is a very different feeling to when you draw after trailing 2-0.

Arsenal go to Etihad Stadium on Wednesday so this is an absolutely must-win game for them to get back on track. It would be unthinkable for them to drop points against the bottom side - if they do, I think the title has definitely gone.

It's must-win for Southampton, too, and their situation means they cannot be happy with a point whoever they are playing.

Prediction: 2-0

Sutton's full predictions v Enter Shikari bassist Chris Batten

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Arsenal are unbeaten in 27 top-flight home matches against Southampton (W19, D8), one shy of their longest run against a particular opponent (ongoing versus Fulham since 1949).
• Saints have won just two of 45 league fixtures away to the Gunners (D15, L28), victories at Highbury in 1968 and 1987.

Arsenal

• The Gunners have won 11 of their past 12 home league games versus teams starting the day bottom of the table, only dropping points in a goalless draw against Burnley in January 2022.
• Mikel Arteta's side are vying to win a fifth consecutive top-flight home match. Their only league defeat at the Emirates Stadium this season was February's 3-1 loss to Manchester City.
• Gabriel Martinelli's total of 14 Premier League goals is one short of the record by a Brazilian in a season, set by Liverpool's Roberto Firmino in 2017-18.
• Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko are both one shy of 100 Premier League appearances. Zinchenko would become the first Ukrainian to reach the milestone.

Southampton

• Saints have only amassed three points from their 15 Premier League games this season versus teams currently in the top half of the table (D3, L12), though that includes a 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the reverse fixture.
• They have lost their six most recent top-flight matches away to sides starting the day top of the table, with their last such victory coming at Liverpool in September 2013.
• Saints are winless in six league games (D2, L4) and have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of the previous five.
• Theo Walcott can become the first player to make 150 Premier League appearances at the Emirates Stadium, the majority while playing for Arsenal between 2006 and 2018.
• James Ward-Prowse has nine goals in all competitions this season and is vying to reach double figures in consecutive campaigns, having netted 11 last term.

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