A scrappy win at West Brom, and Arsenal got back to winning ways in the English Premier League. Arsene Wenger and co. will now look to make it two wins in a row when they host "can beat any team on their day" Southampton at the Emirates on Wednesday.
Arsenal will know they cannot rest on their laurels after that hard-fought victory over the Baggies, a game in which they showed their defensive resilience pretty well. A victory over Southampton in front of their own fans will be deemed as a must as Arsenal look to find their way back to the top four of the Premier League.
It's two games now in which Arsenal have not conceded a goal – a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund and a 1-0 result against West Brom – and Wenger will want more of the same against Southampton, who themselves have a pretty solid defence.
"We want to be competitive in every game," Wenger said. "We've just had two very competitive games and the team we face on Wednesday night is a team who is a good team and who have started very well. Of course our target is to beat them.
"Defensive stability is very important for us. Against Manchester United, [their] second goal was their first shot on target [and] in the 85th minute.
"I think we have been quite stable recently and that's what we want to continue. It's vital for us that we find our defensive stability, [which] we have not had since the start of the season."
Southampton are coming off the back of a heavy defeat to Premier League champions Manchester City, and Ronald Koeman will expect his team to bounce back immediately and strengthen their position in the top three.
A win for Arsenal will take them to within three points of the third-placed Saints, who have already beaten their Wednesday opponents this season in the League Cup, while nine points will be the margin if the away team leaves North London with a victory.
This will also be a special game for Calum Chambers, who only moved from Southampton in the summer, and the defender is looking forward to the contest.
"I'm really excited," Chambers told the club's official website. "We played Southampton in the Capital One Cup a few months ago and that was a really good game for me. It will be a bit weird because I was at the club for 12 years but I relish the opportunity.
"I owe a lot to Southampton. They made me the player and the person I am today. We had a good age group coming through and we got educated really well in their fantastic academy.
"They've got a really good team now and I'm pleased they're doing well. Ronald Koeman brought in some good players and they've all started the season really well."
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The game is set for a 7.45 pm GMT (1.15 am IST (Thursday), 2.45 pm ET) start with live cvoerage in India on Star Sports 2. The match can also be watched via live streaming online in India on Star Sports online. BT Sport will show the match live in the UK , and viewers can also watch the match via live streaming online on Watch BT Sport or BT Sport Online App.
Catch the game in the US on TV on NBC Sports, while the action can also be Live Streamed online on NBC Sports Extra.
Australia viewers can live stream the action Fox Sports On Demand, while viewers in Canada can do the same TSN TV. Audience in the Middle East and North Africa can watch the match via Live Streaming online courtesy Bein Sports Connect, while South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa viewers can do so via SuperSport online. The game can be watched by viewers in South America on DirectTV and lvie streamed on DirectTV Live.
Team news: Arsenal: Wenger has problems over his two left-backs Kieran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal, who will undergo fitness tests before the game. Former Southampton players Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a doubt while Theo Walcott is unlikely to feature.
Wojciech Szczesny is still on the sidelines, which means another game for goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, while Wenger is hopeful Laurent Koscielny can play his second match in four days after returning from an Achilles injury.
Southampton: Koeman will have to do without midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, who has been linked heavily with a move to Arsenal, with Jack Cork likely to be his replacement.
Confirmed lineups: Arsenal: Martinez; Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Flamini, Ramsey, Cazorla; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Welbeck, Sanchez.
Southampton: Forster; Clyne, Fonte, Alderweireld, Bertrand; Davis, Wanyama, Cork; Tadic, Pelle, Long.
