Southampton vs Arsenal: 4 huge selection decisions

Arsenal are looking to avoid a first under Mikel Arteta as they travel to St Mary’s on Saturday to take on Southampton in the Premier League. Never before during his tenure have the club lost three games consecutively in all competitions.

It’s interesting how draws aren’t even factored in. This Gunners side have played 30 matches this season yet have shared the points on only three occasions. That’s just 10% of their matches.

On this occasion, like with almost all that are to come, a solitary point will not suffice.

Trailing Tottenham by three points and a 10-goal difference, albeit with one game in hand, facing sides in such dire form as Southampton means there can be no excuses not to claim all the spoils.

Southampton vs Arsenal: 4 huge selection decisions for Mikel Arteta with left-back, midfield, and striker all up for debate in Premier League clash

Between now and the final eight games of the campaign there is no margin for error. Spurs have found their Premier League rhythm under Antonio Conte at precisely the time Arsenal have lost theirs. Injuries to three key players have risked derailing the season, as if they hadn’t already.

How Mikel Arteta deals with the cards he’s been dealt has been the topic of debate ever since his first attempt against Brighton fell flat on its face. His setup and the manner with which he sought to remedy his errors saw him earn deserved criticism. He has to learn, and in some areas he just isn’t.

Will he persist with the same formula on the south coast? From having a starting lineup that picked itself not too long ago, now there is plenty of scope for change, with four big selection calls in particular for him to make.

1. Granit Xhaka or Nuno Tavares at Left-Back?

This is the main one.

There is not an Arsenal fan in sight – or at least none who has spoken up – who wants to see Granit Xhaka deployed at left-back again.

If Partey were fit then there is greater understanding to the manager’s thinking, but without the Ghanaian and just an inexperienced Sambi, who has barely played in 2022 and is in his development year, it beggars belief.

We can try to seek comfort in the idea of deep ball progression but it’s a decision that detracts more than it adds. There is a knock-on effect across the team when the Swiss moves to left-back, that which destabilises the system and imbalances the connections across the pitch.

Nuno Tavares is far from perfect. It’s not like playing him will solve the issue. But what it would do is allow the team to maintain a closer resemblance to the formula that had produced some of the best football seen by an Arsenal side in years. Why throw that out?

Looking into it further, he could even move to a back three, bring Rob Holding into defence and have White and Gabriel either side. This would allow Nuno to operate as a wing-back and impact the game in more advanced areas, but is that also too drastic of a change?

Prediction: Xhaka will play left-back (sigh)

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2. 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1?

It’s more a question of a double pivot or not. If Xhaka plays left-back then it could be a continuation of the hybrid 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 shape that was seen in the first half against Brighton, one that places huge responsibility on Sambi’s shoulders.

That first half did see Odegaard drop deeper to try and aid his teammate in that area, a position that history has told us does not work. Without the presence of Partey or Xhaka in there it’s clear how much more reserved the Belgian is in possession.

As soon as the Swiss moved back into midfield(ish) against the Seagulls Sambi came alive. By no means a vintage display, he still began making positive decisions in possession, carrying the ball with purpose and shifting it side to side with more pace.

Given Xhaka looks almost certain to be in defence, Arteta has a decision to make on whether he sticks to his guns in midfield and hands the Partey reins back over to Sambi. There is belief in his talent that he can develop into a fine player one day, it’s just that he needs time and the right exposure.

A do-or-die away game against a high intensity Saints team doesn’t come across as the fitting environment for that.

Prediction: More of the same 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 hybrid

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3. Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli, or Both?

It was arguably Smith Rowe’s weakest performance of the season in the defeat to Brighton, one where he ended up receiving the ball in the wrong areas and being too negative in possession.

Every pass was a wall pass and the energy he brings in advanced areas was lacking. It was as if he was playing with the handbrake on, partly due to the change of role for him.

There are no qualms about his capability of playing as a No. 10 or on the interior, it just feels as though he loses some of his explosion when he doesn’t have grass to run into and combination play going from out to in. It also doesn’t appear as if he’s fully fit yet.

If it is a 4-3-3 system that Arteta opts for then it’s near enough impossible not to field both Martinelli and Smith Rowe with the left No. 8 slot difficult for anyone else to pick up. But Arteta could go full galaxy brain and change things around and keep one of Smith Rowe or Martinelli on the bench in reserve.

Forgotten man Mohamed Elneny could enter the fray at the deepest midfielder, a move that would see Sambi shifted slightly to the left as the No. 8. There could then be some more solidity with Sambi keeping his spaces close to Elneny, allowing Odegaard to stay closer to Saka and rekindle their growing partnership.

It would be a baffling call. It truly would. But then can we rule anything out? Or, of course, he could move Xhaka back to the left No. 8 to take some of the spotlight away from Smith Rowe. That would be more suitable, wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t it?

Prediction: Smith Rowe and Martinelli will both play

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4. Alexandre Lacazette or Eddie Nketiah at Striker?

Arteta’s adoration for Lacazette will see him play every game he’s available for. Regardless of how lifeless and ineffective his performances are, the manager keeps sticking with his captain through thick and thin.

However, having missed training sessions in the build-up to Saturday’s game, it was revealed by the Spaniard that personal reasons had kept Lacazette out.

"“Obviously there are private reasons that I cannot comment on, but I have no other team news to give other than the guys we have discussed,” he said. However, despite that, he added: “We will see if he’s available. It’s a good possibility that that’s the case.”"

As per usual there is some ambiguity over what ‘available’ entails. Having missed sessions it could just mean a spot on the bench, and even that isn’t definite.

In either case, the impressive cameo appearances that Eddie Nketiah has produced of late – all of which come with the caveat of game state – coupled with Lacazette’s pitiful showings must be giving him food for thought. He isn’t holding the ball up, he’s barely linking play (seven completed passes vs Brighton) and the lack of any threat either in front or behind the opposition defence is alarming.

Missing training and having personal issues to deal with might just have forced his hand.

Prediction: Nketiah will start with Lacazette on the bench