Arsenal vs Southampton LIVE: Sterling makes first Gunners start but Partey at right-back for Arteta’s men against struggling Saints

Arsenal will welcome Southampton to the Emirates this afternoon aiming to continue their unbeaten start to the season, exclusively live on talkSPORT 2.

Only the Gunners and title rivals Manchester City have still not lost this campaign, with both teams winning four and drawing two of their first six games. 

It leaves Mikel Arteta’s side in fine form, with a 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in midweek setting them up perfectly for the visit of the Saints. 

Russell Martin is desperate for three points as his men are still waiting for their first win back in the top-flight, sitting 19th in the table. 

They were beaten by Bournemouth last time out, succumbing to their fifth loss in six outings and seeing their average goals conceded per game rise to two. 

It’s a record that will leave Arsenal rubbing their hands together for a potential heavy win at the Emirates.

Arsenal vs Southampton: Set for the sack? 

The Southampton hierarchy are split over the club’s poor start to the season, talkSPORT understands.

Manager Martin is coming under increasing pressure from owner Dragan Solak after his newly promoted side took just one point from their first six games. 

The Saints are also the lowest scorers in the Premier League after netting only three goals and slumped to a 3-1 defeat at south coast rivals Bournemouth on Monday night. 

Martin does retain the support of sporting director Rasmus Ankersen, who head-hunted the former Swansea boss and is backing him to turn their fortunes around. 

It leaves Martin in a precarious position heading into this clash against Arsenal, with another defeat piling on more pressure. 

But anything but a loss at the Emirates should certainly be viewed as a major positive. 

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• Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 28 home league games against Southampton (W19 D9) since a 1-0 loss in November 1987. Only against Fulham (a current run of 31) have they had a longer unbeaten home run in their league history.
• Southampton’s 24 Premier League away games against Arsenal is the most one side has visited another without ever winning in the competition’s history (D8 L16).

Arsenal vs Southampton: Teams

Arsenal: Raya, Partey, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Havertz, Jorginho, Saka, Sterling, Jesus

Subs: Neto, Kiwior, Martinelli, Tomiyasu, Merino, Buttler-Oyedeji, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri

Southampton: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Walker-Peters, Manning, Downes, Aribo, Fernandes, Dibling, Stewart

Subs: McCarthy, Armstrong, Lallana, Bree, Diaz, Archer, Taylor, Ugochukwu, Onuachu

• Kai Havertz has scored six goals in his last six Premier League home games for Arsenal, scoring in each of his last four at the Emirates. The last player to score in five straight home league games for the Gunners was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in September 2019.
• Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale could become the ninth goalkeeper to play against Arsenal in the Premier League having previously played for them in the competition. The only one of the previous eight to keep a clean sheet in his first such match against the Gunners is Emiliano Martínez, in a 3-0 win at the Emirates with Aston Villa in November 2020.

Arsenal vs Southampton: What has been said? 

Arteta was full of praise for Ramsdale ahead of his return to the Emirates.

He said: “I was very grateful for what he did. When we signed him, there was a lot of noise around him. We helped him to create the environment that he needed because we believed in his potential.

“He showed it, he won the respect and admiration of all of us. Then the circumstances change and this can happen.

“It was difficult to deal with that situation in a natural way and we decided to part ways and hopefully he is grateful as well.”

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• Arsenal are winless in their last three Premier League meetings with Southampton (D2 L1), drawing both games the last time the side’s faced in 2022-23.
• Southampton have lost 82 of their 139 Premier League away games against London sides (59%), the highest loss rate of any of the 12 sides to have played 100+ away games in the capital. Indeed, only Everton (91) and Newcastle (89) have lost more overall than Saints.

Arsenal vs Southampton: talkSPORT coverage 

This Premier League clash will take place on Saturday, October 5. 

Kick-off at the Emirates is scheduled for 3pm. 

talkSPORT 2 will have EXCLUSIVE live coverage of the game presented by Faye Carruthers. 

Commentary will come from Ian Danter and former Arsenal winger Perry Groves. 

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. 

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

talkSPORT.com will also keep you up to date with all the goals as they go in our dedicated Premier League live blog. 

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