ARSENAL will set out to tighten their grip at the top of the Premier League table when they take on Southampton at St Mary's on Sunday afternoon.
Mikel Arteta's men have made their best-ever start to a top-flight season, with the chasing pack struggling to keep pace with the in-form Gunners.
Last time out, Arsenal earned a hard-fought 1-0 win at Elland Road against Leeds, further solidifying the notion that they’re here to stay in the Premier League title race.
That win in West Yorkshire coupled with Man City's loss at Liverpool means the Gunners now boast a four-point lead at the top of the table and they will be keen to keep that buffer intact by banking another three points at Southampton this weekend.
After being pegged back in a 1-1 stalemate with West Ham last Sunday, the Saints secured a much-needed three points with a battling 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Wednesday night.
That south coast success snapped a five-game winless run and moved Ralph Hasenhuttl's side up to 14th in the standings, so they should be in high spirits ahead of a visit from the league leaders on Sunday.
Outright Betting
Southampton have toppled Arsenal in three of the last five meetings between the sides at this venue but the same outcome on Sunday is an unfancied 5/1 (Bet 365) while the draw is also deemed unlikely at 17/5 (UniBet).
After winning nine of their opening 10 league games of the season, Arsenal arrive at St Mary's as short-priced 4/7 (Bet 365) favourites.
Betting Angles
The aforementioned price about Arsenal winning this game is not an attractive one but backing the visitors to emerge victorious in a game that features under five goals makes appeal at even-money with Ladbrokes.
While Mikel Arteta has a plethora of young and exciting talent at his disposal that are capable of succeeding with style, his side have also formed a knack of winning in solid if not spectacular fashion.
That was evident at Elland Road last Sunday on afternoon where the capital club showed real grit and determination to grind out yet another victory and they may need to roll up their sleeves again if they are to take maximum points from Southampton this weekend,
While the Saints have struggled for consistency this season, there’s plenty of reason to believe that they can keep this contest competitive, especially in front of their own supporters, although I suspect they will ultimately come up short.
Ralph Hasenhuttl's team have lost six of their opening 11 league games of the season, but it's worth noting that five of those seven losses have yielded Under 4.5 Goals, so the hosts should be able to keep this respectable.
With this in mind, and given that seven of Arsenal's nine Premier League wins produced four goals or fewer – including all four of their road wins – siding with the same formula at St Mary's on Sunday seems like a sensible selection at even-money (Ladbrokes).
I'll also jump into the player card market where Southampton's Romain Perraud is perhaps worth a speculative punt to pick up a booking at 7/1 with Bet 365.
The French full-back has been cautioned in his last two outings for the Saints and he looks overpriced to have his name taken again here given the pace and flair that Arsenal possess in wide areas.
This English Premier League match between Southampton and Arsenal will be played on Oct 23, 2022 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best Southampton vs Arsenal prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
