Prior to their 1-0 win over Bournemouth, Southampton hadn’t won a Premier League match since August.
Some of the pressure on Ralph Hasenhuttl has eased, but they have their work cut out to take anything from this weekend’s clash with the league-leading Arsenal.
It is four straight league wins for the Gunners, and they were victorious against PSV Eindhoven on Thursday night.
Oleksandr Zinchenko could return for the visitors here, and Bukayo Saka is expected to be available despite a knock.
Southampton are without Kyle Walker-Peters, Tino Livramento and Armel Bella-Kotchap.
Winner: Arsenal
Arsenal will be top of the table at the end of this round of fixtures regardless of the result here. This is a match they will expect to win, though, even after winning by a lone goal in their last four matches.
Southampton are really struggling this season. Only four teams (including the newly promoted trio) have a worse expected goal difference per 90. They beat Chelsea at St Mary’s earlier this season, but another upset here is hard to envisage.
Anytime Goalscorer: Bukayo Saka
With four goals in his last four matches in all competitions, Bukayo Saka is in a purple patch after a relatively slow start to the season.
Individual efforts or making well-timed runs to the back post, Saka is a nightmare for opposing defenders and has a knack for finding space.
Southampton’s press was carved open by Manchester City – similar could happen to them on Sunday. They also allowed 25 shots against West Ham, with Gianluca Scamacca and Lucas Paqueta combining for 15 attempts.
Total Cards: Under 3.5
Neither of these teams get into much trouble with the officials. Both rank below average in cards received, with Southampton being booked just 16 times this season.
Arsenal will dominate possession this weekend, as they do in most fixtures, but their opponents don’t get too many cards.
The Gunners see their opponents average just 1.6 yellows per 90 minutes in 2022-23. This should be a calm affair with relatively limited physicality.
Under 3.5 seems a good wager.
All odds are subject to change