Arsenal finish their Premier League season at Southampton.Arsenal finish their Premier League season at Southampton.
Arsenal finish their Premier League season at Southampton. | Getty Images
Mikel Arteta is without two key defenders as the Premier League campaign comes to a close at Southampton.
The top flight comes to its conclusion this afternoon as ten fixtures kick-off at 4 pm. The Gunners have little to play for with Champions League football confirmed and will hold their position in second - unless Southampton win and Manchester City beat Fulham by an insatiable scoreline.
Mikel Arteta will nonetheless be looking to finish the season on a high and avoid a shock defeat at the hands of the already-relegated Saints, who have only won one home game all season. Speaking ahead of the game, the Spaniard said: “There’s motivation because you want to have as many points as possible. You are always here representing this club to win and to play in the manner that we want to do.
Arsenal set sights on defensive record in Premier League finale
“We still want to achieve the best defensive record, the Golden Glove is still to play for and finish the season again on a high with a good test and always respecting the competition.”
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta also provided an injury update after Saliba limped off after 45 minutes in the 1-0 win over Newcastle United. Arsenal continue to be without Brazilian centre-back Gabriel.
The Gunners manager said: “Jurrien had surgery on Tuesday morning on his ankle. He's been feeling that discomfort for many, many weeks. He's been navigating through the season with that issue and it needed to be resolved, so he's going to be out for a while. And Saliba, he felt something in his hamstring in the first half [against Newcastle], just before half-time. And again, he's going to be out for a few weeks.”
William Saliba absent from Arsenal squad against Southampton
That injury update has now been confirmed with team news announced for the Southampton game. Saliba is not in the squad with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and Kieran Tierney in defence.
That could mean that Saliba unknowingly played his last match for Arsenal against Newcastle United last time out. The defender has been heavily linked with a transfer move to Real Madrid with the Galacticos looking to breathe new life into their back line under Xabi Alonso - already recruiting Liverpool legend Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The report claims that Arsenal could allow Saliba to leave, if it meant Rodrygo would come the other way, but that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is not fully convinced by that deal. The La Liga club’s chief may be of the opinion that Rodrygo offers a greater market value than Saliba and that the forward’s contract runs until 2028 - Saliba has two years left on his deal at the Emirates, which would put the Spanish side in a stronger negotiating position.
In other news, Andrea Berta and Arsenal ahead of Liverpool in £40m transfer race for 'complete' winger.
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