Arsenal were very glad to have Alexis Sanchez back in their side, but the forward has seen little of the ball so far and has yet to have a touch near the Saints box...

Image source, Opta

Image source, Getty Images

A couple of sniffs in the Southampton box for Arsenal, who try to get Olivier Giroud and then Aaron Ramsey free in the box, but are denied by a well-drilled away defence. Signs of life from the home side.

Southampton are worrying Arsenal. They spray passes from right to left wing and back again before Sadio Mane ruins the attack by chipping the ball straight out of play.

Mesut Ozil's control is a thing of beauty. It presents him with the best chance of the game as he gets in front of his marker in the box and brings a long ball down perfectly. Unfortunately for the home side, his shot is not up to the same standard and Fraser Forster is able to get out to block.

Southampton have been the better side here so far. They break but Shane Long's touch lets him down and prevents him being able to run towards the Gunners box. There are mumbles of discontent from the home fans.

Saints corner. James Ward-Prowse delivers, Cech catches.

Not got started yet, Arsenal. They look to break but a pass goes astray and the attack is ended before it really began. 

Arsenal come forward with intent for the first time but a Saints defender is just able to get in the way of a one-two between Joel Campbell and Olivier Giroud to deny the striker a sight of goal.

Saints snapping in to tackles in midfield. Victor Wanyama at the heart of the action. He had a stormer of a game against the Gunners at St Mary's. You suspect he'll have to have another if his side are to get anything here.

Southampton have started well. They're firmly on the front foot and in the Arsenal half. James Ward-Prowse swings a free-kick into the box and Petr Cech is forced to push the curling effort round the post. Seen plenty of keepers done by one of those before.

Southampton haven't won here in 20 visits. 1987 was the last time the Saints left here with a win, thanks to a goal from Rod Wallace.

And we are under way...

Guy Mowbray
BBC Match of the Day commentator

"'Pivotal but not decisive' is how Arsene Wenger has described February, a month in which his Gunners play four Premier League games plus Hull and Barcelona.

"Three games without a win in the league saw them fall off the top last month, but the returns from injury of Francis Coquelin and Alexis Sanchez have countered any falling spirits.

"Keeping Sanchez fit is essential to Arsenal's title bid, and whilst he's sure to test Saints' run of three wins AND clean sheets since Fraser Forster returned to their goal, Ronald Koeman can look with confidence to his own team's attacking threat.

"They put four past Arsenal on Boxing Day, and now have extra Austin powers. £4m? Oh, behave!"

Here come the teams. Kick-off coming soon...

Mark Lawrenson
Ex-Liverpool defender

"Southampton have been playing three at the back of late, and looking very comfortable, and Ronald Koeman's new formation has also seen them do well with two up front.

"But if they play with two strikers at the Emirates Stadium, I only see one outcome. Arsenal to win, and make up for their no-show in their 4-0 defeat at St Mary's on Boxing Day."

Prediction: 2-0.

Lawro's full predictions v Maccabees guitarist Felix White

Think you can do better than Lawro? Predict the score for this match and the rest of this round's Premier League fixtures in our Predictor game.

These two tables highlight how the Premier League's struggling teams - Aston Villa excepted - all swung into action during the January transfer window. The top teams appear to be happy with their lot. For now.

Four of the six teams at the bottom spent more than the entire top six combined. Very, very interesting and a definite pattern. 

Image source, #bbcfootball

Image source, #bbcfootball

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman: "We are looking forward to the big game. They know it is difficult to beat Southampton and we have a good record against the big teams and we want to keep that."  

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "It's a big month for us. I am quite confident, having everybody available, that we can do very well. What is important now is for us to be capable of focusing and coping with that kind of expectation level.

"I don't feel that we have really struggled recently because we had two difficult away games with Stoke and Liverpool and we didn't lose. We had a bad result against Chelsea and of course, if you put the three results together, it looks like we've struggled but overall the Chelsea result is under special circumstances."