Monday was a bittersweet day for Arsenal. The dull news of the day was that Alexis Sanchez is going to miss the entire holiday swing and at least a week or two into the new year as well. However, a win over Manchester City gives the Gunners a relief promise of winning the championship this term.
A match against Southampton on Boxing Day won't be easy, particularly on the short week of prep, but it's one which Arsenal would still be expected to win.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Southampton +230
Arsenal +105
Draw +250
Over/Under 2.5
ODDS ANALYSIS
Arsenal is understandably verging on an odds-on favorite for this match. The Gunners have been excellent on the road all season long, particularly against the middling teams, and as a result, it's basically a tossup whether they get three points or don't at St. Mary's.
The total of a flat 2.5 is par for the course at this point in the Premier League season, though it should be noted that the Boxing Day matches have a history of being slightly more open with the teams being stuck playing matches in short order.
KEY INJURIES
Southampton is still playing without Maarten Stekelenburg, who is battling a toe injury, while Jay Rodriguez is likely out for a while with a foot problem.
We already know about Sanchez, but there are still a litany of other injuries here for the Gunners to deal with, too. Tomas Rosicky, Francis Coquelin, Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere will all be on the sidelines in this one in all likelihood, though do keep an eye on Wilshere, who was originally expected to return right around Christmas from his broken ankle suffered in September.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"It has strengthened our belief that we can win the title. We need to fight like that every game. We are more mature than before, and that shows in the games where we are under pressure." – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on his team's growth thus far in the 2015-16 season
RECENT FORM
Southampton is more or less doing what middling teams do. The Saints aren't anything spectacular, but they aren't seriously threatened by relegation either. That said, form isn't great right now, and Ronald Koeman is under some fire. This all started with an unlucky 1-0 loss at home against Stoke in which the Saints deserved better. Since then, they were beaten 3-1 by Man City, 6-1 by Southampton, 1-0 by Crystal Palace and 2-0 by Tottenham, and the one point they did get against Aston Villa at home was a brutally disappointing result.
Arsenal has managed four victories in a row across all competitions. The 2-1 win over Manchester City on Monday was the biggest of the year to date, and the only question which remains is whether the Gunners can continue to build on this great level of success into the new year.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Arsenal is due for a major letdown here. It's hard enough to play two games in three days and three games in seven in the Premier League, but the Gunners have to add in the fact that they played on Monday before all this holiday mess started.
The Gunners are much better off now than they were a month ago, but they aren't ready to win all of these matches in a row.
Southampton has been in terrible form, and it would be understandable to fade it for the time being, especially knowing that the offense has been largely inept if you take away the efforts of Graziano Pelle. However, the holidays tend to turn the season on its head, and upsets happen all the time as teams get ready for quickly progressing fixtures. That might be just what the doctor ordered for Koeman to get him off of the hot seat. The best cure would be an upset at home of Arsenal.
Southampton 2, Arsenal 1
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