Nketiah Leads Line, Lacazette On The Bench | 4-2-3-1 Arsenal Predicted Lineup Vs Southampton

Arsenal will lock horns with Southampton at St. Mary’s on Saturday afternoon, hoping to pick up a win and get back into the top four of the Premier League table. The Gunners will be heading into the contest on the back of a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Brighton, whereas the Saints recorded a pathetic 6-0 loss to Chelsea on April 9.

Team News

Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney, and Thomas Partey are certain to miss out on the trip to St. Mary’s.

“Takehiro is making progress in his recovery from a muscle injury to his left calf, which he sustained in February. Takehiro had successfully recovered from a muscle injury sustained to his right calf in January. It is hoped that Takehiro will be back in full training after the match at Southampton on Saturday, April 16.” – An official statement on Arsenal’s website read.

“It is a little bit ambiguous, but he has a significant injury and we’ll have to keep assessing him, but he will be out for some weeks. It could be (an issue), but it could also not be because it’s an area where he had a previous injury as well and he felt it straight away. It’s not quick.” – Arteta said on Partey’s thigh injury.

On Tierney: “Our responsibility is to look after them when we have them here, but once they go to the national team, in this case it’s their job and responsibility to decide the team that they believe is the best to win the games and we have to try to have quick communication with the national teams, which we have, but these things happen.”

Mikel Arteta will probably opt for the 4-2-3-1 formation with a couple of tweaks from the last game, as Eddie Nketiah looks likely to make his way back into the starting eleven.

4-2-3-1 Arsenal Predicted Lineup Vs Southampton

Defence

Aaron Ramsdale will operate in between the sticks for the upcoming away encounter. The English shot-stopper would hope to put up a strong performance and secure a clean sheet on Saturday.

Gabriel Magalhaes will continue to form the centre-half partnership with Ben White at the heart of Arsenal’s backline.

Nuno Tavares is a guaranteed starter at the left-back position, whereas Cedric Soares might fill in on the other flank as the right-back. The duo would be looking to stretch the opposition backline and create meaningful chances for the front-men.

Midfield

Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard will fulfil the holding midfield positions, with the former occupying a more defensive role. Emile Smith Rowe will slot into the attacking midfield role.

Smith Rowe will be accompanied by Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on either side, playing on the left and right-wing, respectively.

Attack

Eddie Nketiah will lead the line for the visitors against Southampton on Saturday. The 22-year-old striker will fancy his chances of finding the back of the net when he faces off against the Saints defence that has conceded fifteen goals in their last five matches across all competitions.

Alexandre Lacazette will have to settle for a place on the bench, but he might be called upon in the latter stages of the game if needed.