Arsenal will travel to Southampton in a rearranged midweek fixture on Wednesday (10 May) with the Gunners in desperate need of victory to keep their hopes of finishing in the top four of the Premier League alive.

Where to Watch Live

Kick-off is set for 7.45pm GMT. There is no live TV coverage of the game in the UK. Catch the highlights on Sky Sports 1 at 10.30pm BST and again at 11.30pm BST.

Overview

Southampton are fighting Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion for eighth place in the Premier League and can take over from the latter if they beat Arsenal on Wednesday. They are currently in tenth place, three points behind, but have played a game fewer than their two rivals.

Claude Puel's side come into the game against the Gunners following a 0-0 draw against Liverpool. The Saints like Arsenal will play four fixtures in the next 10 days, which is likely to force the manager to rotate his squad.

Southampton have a good record against Arsenal at St Mary's having won the last two games. If they win a third it will be for the first time in 32 years that they have beaten Arsenal in three consecutive home league games. Charlie Austin is likely to return to the squad after almost five months out with a dislocated shoulder, which will give the manager added firepower going into the final games of the season.

Laurent Koscielny
Koscielny is likely to miss Arsenal's trip to St Mary's on Wednesday (10 May) after picking up a knock against Manchester United Reuters

Arsenal, on the other hand, are fighting for a top-four place in the Premier League and need to win all their games to have even a slight chance of making the Champions League next season. They also need the teams above them — Liverpool and Manchester City — in third and fourth respectively to drop points.

Arsene Wenger's side will come into the game against the Saints in buoyant mood after dispatching Manchester United 2-0 in their previous fixture, but will be wary against a Southampton side that have found ways to beat them in their last two visits.

The French coach is also likely to be without Laurent Koscielny, who picked up a knock during the win over the Red Devils, but Granit Xhaka, who was initially a doubt should be fit to play a part at St Mary's. Wenger could also ring in a few changes as they travel to Stoke City on Saturday (13 May), which is another fixture Arsenal have struggled to negotiate successfully in recent seasons.

What Managers Say

Claude Puel [on Virgil van Dijk]: "It was a bad injury for him and for us. Now the surgery is finished he can work normally and be ready for next season — with us.

"He's our captain and I have said he is important for us. He has authority, the leadership of the team, he is a fantastic player. It's important for us, of course, to wait until the beginning of the season to see him on the pitch with Southampton. He has a long contract and the directors want to keep him," via BBC Sport.

Arsene Wenger [on Claude Puel]: "I believe he has done well because they have taken initiative in every single game. They have been doing well against the big teams in the league and overall they got to the League Cup final. Southampton had a very convincing performance on the day. Overall he has done well," via Arsenal.com

Betting Odds (betfair)

  • Southampton Win: 27/10
  • Draw: 14/5
  • Arsenal Win: 21/20

Team News

Southampton

Possible XI: Forster; Soares, Stephens, Yoshida, Bertrand; Romeu, Davis, Ward-Prowse; Tadic, Gabbiadini, Boufal.

Arsenal

Possible XI: Cech; Holding, Mustafi, Monreal; Bellerin, Coquelin, Ramsey, Gibbs; Ozil, Welbeck, Sanchez.