I ignored #TheJeff, please forgive me

Match Preview: Arsenal vs Southampton – League Cup – 30.11.2016

I was fortunate enough to attend Arsenal’s match against a different opponent from the south coast last weekend. Thanks to the lovely folks at Europcar I was sat in club level. At full-time I went to the Foundry for a few drinks to allow the thronging crowds making their way to stations to dissipate.

As I sat there, chewing the fat with a fellow writer, who should walk into the restaurant but Gunnersaurus and two Arsenal youth players. One of the players I did not recognise at all and the other was vaguely familiar to me. Not until much later did it strike me that I was in the presence of great, the one and only #Jeff. I had the chance to converse with Monsieur Reine-Adelaide as he stood not half a metre away from me to watch the next match on the big screen and instead sat there feeling my conversation was being intruded upon by two hangers on, hovering over my shoulder. I’m sorry #Jeff.

Hopefully he can get over the indignation of some nobody blogger breezing past him in total ignorance to get a photo with Gunnersaurus and put his emotions into a good performance in a few hours time.

We’re likely to see a rather strong line-up for a League Cup match and I expect that #Jeff and Martinez will be the only players on the periphery of the first-team squad to make a starting appearance. Oxlade-Chamberlain will be facing his old club with three goals and one assist in the League Cup already. He’ll be one to watch.

Arsenal are edging closer to getting another trophy under their belts and I hope they give this match the respect it deserves. The League Cup has become more of a standard setter for the big clubs in recent years, laying down the gauntlet to the rest of the squad to win bigger and better things, and with the squad depth Arsenal have now you’d like to think they’d look to do the same.

Predicted Line-up

Martinez; Jenkinson, Gabriel, Holding, Gibbs; Coquelin, Xhaka; Ramsey; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lucas, #TheJeff

I expect to see substitute appearances from Mavididi, Elneny and Iwobi.

Match Quote

“It’s good that our finishing is fantastic, but I believe for a big part it’s down to the quality of the chances we create because most of these chances are in the box and in very strong positions.” – Arsène Wenger

Last 3 Meetings

• Arsenal 2-1 Southampton (10.09.2016)
• Arsenal 2-0 Southampton (02.02.2016)
• Southampton 4-0 Arsenal (26.12.2015)

Form Guide

Arsenal
WDDDW

Southampton
WLDLL

Opposition watch

Southampton have had patchy form this season, perhaps due to the additional strain on the squad of European football. Midfielder Sofiane Boufal is available for Southampton after a knock as is Steven Davis (illness).

Factfile

• Arsenal’s last three home League Cup games against Premier League opposition have ended in defeat, with just one goal scored.
• The Gunners have progressed from just one of their last five League Cup quarter-finals, last doing so in 2010-11 with a 2-0 win over Wigan.
• Arsenal have lost just one of their seven League Cup meetings with Southampton.
• Southampton have been eliminated at this stage of the competition on each of their last seven attempts.
• No player has had a hand in more EFL Cup goals than Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this season (4 – three goals, one assist).
• Oxlade-Chamberlain has also scored each of Arsenal’s last three goals in the EFL Cup.

Courtesy of Opta & BBC Sport.

Prediction

2-1.

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