Arsenal v Southampton: Gunners to profit from un-saintly defending

Gaston Ramirez is in line to make his Saints bow at the Emirates, though the Gunners will be looking to exploit his side’s inability to strengthen their backline in the transfer window.

At 4/11, it’s difficult to look past the home side in this one; their creative talent should be able to puncture any resistance duo Joos Hooiveld and Jose Fonte can muster – the pair often found wanting in the Championship last year.

Japanese international Maya Yoshida could come in for one of these, however, after points were squandered against the Manchester clubs in the closing stages of the contests.

Ramirez’s attacking talents weren’t required in these games, with Nigel Adkins’ men bagging two goals in each, only to see a combined six go in at the other end as Southampton ended up with nothing when they warranted points.

The three they shipped against Manchester United saw their Premier League goals against column rise to eight and it’s 1/1 for Arsenal to add fuel to their defensive fire by netting 2-3 goals in this one.

Saints showed no fear when taking on the Premier League’s elite and showed they have what it takes to ask questions in the final third. 8/11 says both sides will find the back of the net in north London and, given the chance-creating acumen and notoriously suspect defences both teams possess, it’s a pretty safe bet.

Likeable frontman Rickie Lambert has chalked up his side’s first goal twice this season, one of which being the first of the match. He’s priced at a tempting 10/1 to be the first man on target at the Emirates and the bustling striker is the exact sort of player who has plagued Arsenal in recent campaigns.

The pick of the bets on this one, however, is 7/2 for the Saints to score first and Arsenal to score last.

United and City proved that persistence pays off against a permeable Southampton backline yet, from an attacking perspective, they are sure to have a go at the Gunners which, history has proven, yields results.

All odds and markets correct as of publication