"This could turn into a tough afternoon for them" – Chris Sutton predicts winner of Arsenal vs Southampton
Ex-Chelsea and Blackburn Rovers striker Chris Sutton has predicted a 3-0 triumph for Arsenal in their Premier League home match against Southampton on Saturday (October 5).
The Gunners, who achieved back-to-back second-place finishes in the league past two seasons, are still unbeaten across competitions this term. They are currently in third place behind Liverpool and Manchester City in the league standings, boasting 14 points from six games.
Southampton, on the other hand, are yet to register a victory in six Premier League matches this season. They are 19th in the 2024-25 domestic table with just a point so far, scoring thrice and shipping 12 goals.
In his column for BBC, Sutton shared his honest thoughts on Arsenal's home clash against Southampton this weekend. The Englishman wrote:
"Arsenal are so adaptable and know how to win any game, something you cannot say about Southampton at the moment. I was a bit worried to see Saints boss Russell Martin call his players out publicly after their [recent 3-1 Premier League] defeat by Bournemouth, because that never bodes well."
Sutton, who lifted the Premier League title in the 1994-95 term, added:
"I have lots of admiration for Russell, who sticks to his principles about how he wants his team to play, but Arsenal are so streetwise and ruthless, this could turn into a tough afternoon for them. The Gunners' defence is so strong, they will keep a clean sheet – I am expecting everyone to go for a 3-0 win here, the readers included!"
The Gunners have registered four wins, four draws, and three defeats in their past 11 meetings across all competitions against Southampton.
Arsenal boss offer injury update on player
After Arsenal's recent 2-0 UEFA Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Gunners manager Mikel Arteta was asked to shed light on Jurrien Timber's injury. He replied (h/t football.london):
"He was unbelievable in the first half, but he felt something muscular and he wasn't certain. So, I didn't want to take any risks. He's been out for a year and he's played a lot of minutes, probably more minutes than we would have wanted in the past few weeks and we have to manage him."
Timber, who was out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury last term, has started seven of his eight total appearances so far this campaign.
Meanwhile, the Gunners could miss the likes of Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, and Oleksandr Zinchenko in their upcoming league contest.