The Gunners and the Saints have had some memorable match-ups over the years; here is a selection of the best of the lot.
Southampton’s Harrison Reed in action with Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade Chamberlain
This Saturday’s meeting will be the 35th time Arsenal and Southampton have faced each other in the Premier League, and the 90th match between the two overall. To whet the appetite ahead of their latest encounter, here’s a look back at five of the best matches between the two sides in the Premier League era.
Arsenal 4-3 Southampton – March 20, 1993
Southampton’s first ever Premier League visit to Highbury resulted in a seven-goal thriller that swung both ways before eventually being settled in favour of the hosts.
The game featured several goals from players now seen giving their verdict on Sky’s ‘Soccer Saturday’, including Iain Dowie, who gave the visitors an early lead with an excellent strike. Some sloppy defending saw the lead overturned in the space of five crazy first-half minutes as Andy Linighan, Paul Merson and Jimmy Carter each got on the scoresheet.
The away side weren’t finished, however, and Micky Adams found the net to reduce Arsenal’s lead to 3-2 on the half hour. Early in the second half, Matt Le Tissier notched a typically classy volley to complete the Saints comeback. The game was locked at 3-3 until the 79th minute, when Carter notched his second from the edge of the box to win the game for the Gunners.
Southampton 3-2 Arsenal – May 19, 2001
Saints bid farewell to The Dell in fitting fashion in this superb game which has gone down in Southampton folklore. The compact 15,200 capacity stadium had been Southampton’s home for 103 years, and it was an emotional occasion as the curtain came down ahead of their move to St Mary’s.
The hosts came flying out the blocks in front of the sell-out crowd but couldn’t break the deadlock, James Beattie coming closest with a header. It was the unlikely figure of Ashley Cole who silenced the home fans, as the England left-back converted a rebound to put Arsenal 1-0 up on 26 minutes.
The Gunners retained that advantage until half-time, but the lead didn’t last long into the second half as Moroccan midfielder Hassan Kachloul seized on an error from Gilles Grimandi to equalise. Kachloul levelled again for the Saints after Freddie Ljungberg had put Arsenal back in front, and the game stayed at 2-2 going into the closing stages.
Occasions such as this need heroes, and perhaps inevitably it was Matt Le Tissier who won the game for Southampton. The Saints legend was brought on with 15 minutes to play, and with the match approaching stoppage time he fired an unstoppable shot into the corner on the half-turn to send the home fans into raptures. A day that no-one who was there will have forgotten in a hurry.
Arsenal 6-1 Southampton – May 7, 2003
In a dress rehearsal ahead of the FA Cup final between these two teams in the following week, both played unfamiliar starting XI’s in order to rest some of their big names. Remarkably, Arsenal raced into a 5-0 lead after just 25 minutes, with Robert Pires netting twice and Jermaine Pennant scoring a quite incredible 10-minute hat-trick.
Jo Tessem notched the merest of consolations to bring the score back to 5-1 at half-time, but Arsenal restored their five goal cushion less than a minute into the second half as Pires completed a hat-trick of his own with an exquisite 30-yard chip.
This was a sobering evening for the visitors, who put up a much better fight in the FA Cup Final that followed. However, the outcome was the same as Saints went down by a goal to nil courtesy of a goal from who else but that man Pires.
Southampton 2-2 Arsenal – January 28, 2014
2013/14 was Southampton’s second season back in the Premier League, and they were an improving side under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino. They welcomed a table-topping Arsenal side who travelled to St Mary’s looking for their sixth win on the bounce having enjoyed a particularly fruitful festive period.
The hosts handed a full debut to 18-year-old striker Sam Gallagher, who came close to opening the scoring on a couple of occasions early on. A Jose Fonte header did give the home side the lead on 21 minutes, an advantage which Southampton took into the break.
Mathieu Flamini is no stranger to the referees notebook
Then followed a goal fest at the start of the second period, as Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla made it 2-1 to the visitors before Adam Lallana swiftly got Southampton back on level terms. Mathieu Flamini’s late sending off saw the visitors go down to 10 men, but the hosts couldn’t take full advantage and the spoils were shared.
Southampton went on to finish a very creditable ninth, whilst Arsenal’s title challenge faltered and Arsene Wenger’s men ended up in fourth.
Southampton 4-0 Arsenal – December 26, 2015
Southampton were stuttering going into this festive fixture last season. Ronald Koeman’s side had picked up just one point from a possible 15 and had slipped into the bottom half, whilst Arsenal arrived having won three consecutive league games. What followed, therefore, was unexpected to say the least.
The home side took the lead thanks to a spectacular strike from little known right-back Cuco Martina in what remains the Dutchman’s only goal for the club. Chances at both ends followed in the first half, with Theo Walcott coming close to equalising against his former club before Shane Long spurned a glorious chance to double the lead.
Virgil van Dijk had a goal disallowed for the hosts early in the second half before they eventually did make it 2-0, Long slotting home from Saido Mane’s pass. Jose Fonte made it three before Long netted his second and Southampton’s fourth in stoppage time.
It was a resounding return to form for the hosts and a display to forget for the visitors, who again saw their title bid fall away in the spring.
Southampton’s Cuco Martina scored a thunderbolt
This weekend’s clash has a lot to live up to if it is to match up with the classics listed above, but who do you think will win? Leave your predictions below.
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