Southampton predicted lineup vs Arsenal - Premier League

The Premier League's most thoroughly out of form club Southampton host an Arsenal side on the wane on Saturday afternoon.

Ralph Hasenhuttl's Saints are the only team in England's top-flight that haven't won a game from March onwards. No club has scored fewer or conceded more than Southampton during this spell, a period in which they have faced three of the division's bottom six.

Here's the lineup Hasenhuttl may deploy to bust this dire rut.

1. Goalkeeper & defenders

Fraser Forster's starting spot could be put under pressure again after the return to training of Alex McCarthy | Steve Bardens/GettyImages

Fraser Forster (GK) - Despite conceding 17 goals in his last six appearances across all competitions, Forster has hardly been responsible for Southampton's implosion of late.

Tino Livramento (RB) - Scarcely alone in struggling during the 6-0 drubbing Chelsea dished out last weekend, defeat would have been even harder to take for the London-born fullback given the decade he spent in the Blues' academy.

Jan Bednarek (CB) - Accused of being "not 100% with his mind" on club duty by his manager with Poland's World Cup decider against Sweden looming in March, the centre-back returned victorious from the playoff, rejoining a side very much at the opposite end of the confidence spectrum.

Mohammed Salisu (CB) - The unflinchingly front-footed defender missed the reverse fixture through suspension, which has been the only thing capable of keeping Salisu out of the starting XI so far.

Kyle Walker-Peters (LB) - The former Tottenham full-back was never turned to for a north London derby, watching on from the bench in two Premier League defeats at the Emirates.

2. Midfielders

Southampton have earned 1.6 points per game (PPG) in matches Stuart Armstrong has featured in this term compared to a return of just 0.5 PPG otherwise | Mike Hewitt/GettyImages

Stuart Armstrong (RM) - The Saints haven't won a Premier League match Armstrong hasn't featured in since beating Norwich 2-1 in December 2019.

James Ward-Prowse (CM) - Southampton's skipper has combined to either score or create more than ten league goals for the second season on the spin this term.

Oriol Romeu (CM) - The former Chelsea midfielder lasted just 36 minutes against his past employers last weekend, hooked off for a tactical rejig Hasenhuttl insisted wasn't about the individual.

Mohamed Elyounoussi (LM) - The Norwegian winger started alongside Arsenal's Martin Odegaard when the midfielder became his country's youngest international aged just 15 in 2014. Incidentally, a 34-year-old Morten Gamst Pederson joined them both in the second half.

3. Forwards

Che Adams (left) and Armando Broja (right) have scored 41% of Southampton's non-penalty goals between them this season | Mike Hewitt/GettyImages

Armando Broja (ST) - Having previously never gone more than two Premier League starts without scoring, Broja hasn't found the net in his last six outings from the off.

Che Adams (ST) - Southampton's joint-top scorer is averaging a goal and or assist every other game this season.

Source : 90min