Top Arsenal and Southampton games in the 2021-22 EPL season
Two of the most storied clubs in the English Premier League (EPL), Southampton and Arsenal have been vying for the top spot in the table. As the years go by, their players are developing into some of the greatest in the league.
The 2021-22 season has been incredible and one of the best EPL seasons in history. Several teams and players have shown why they are a must-watch every single day, and football fans across the world are seeing a shift of narratives with particular clubs.
Most notably, both Arsenal and the Saints are oozing with potential as they happen to have both fielded some of the league's youngest teams. With players that have a ceiling to reach, the clubs’ records are definitely showing why they are the future of the EPL.
With their greatest matchups and players getting in on the heat of the action, both clubs played great games that make the 2021-22 season memorable.
Here is everything you need to know about these two clubs and more:
Arsenal F.C.: How are they doing in the 21-22 season?
Throughout the years, Arsenal has always been a great club with legendary seasons. One in particular was during the 2003-04 season where the club didn’t lose a single game. While it’s tough to replicate such success, the 21-22 squad is putting up solid numbers and are vying for the Champions League spot.
Best players who are contributing to the team’s success
If there’s one player from Arsenal F.C. who is rallying his team to success, that would be Bukayo Saka. With his phenomenal offence and defence, opposing strikers need to think twice before committing to every play made.
Another great player for the 21-22 roster is Ben White who can win the ball back to his team at a faster pace. He does this extremely well to the point where he is one of the leading players who win duels in the season.
While there are individually great players, the team as a whole simply fits, especially when almost everyone is still below their primes. This means that the team’s true potential has yet to surface in the league and the future is bright for the organisation.
Fight for the Champions League spot
At the time of writing, Arsenal F.C. is at the top five seed only below Tottenham Hotspurs. Currently, Spurs are one point ahead of the club and are looking to maintain their place in the top four.
The fight to the top spot is indeed close between Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham. With young players of Arsenal providing all they can on both the defensive and offensive side, the Gunners will no doubt fight till the very end and get a lead as the season closes into one of the best years of the Premier League.
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Arsenal’s top 3 games this season
With a win rate of 60% as of this writing, Arsenal is closing in on the Champions League spots. Here are some of Arsenal’s best games in the 2021-22 season.
EPL season vs Leicester City - Mar 14, 2022
During their Leicester City’s matchup, Arsenal climbed to the top four as they defeated the Foxes 2-0. Arsenal showed early signs of dominance when Thomas Partey opened the scoring while Alxendre Lacazette scored a second-half penalty.
This win was especially important in maintaining their place in the standings and proved to be a solid victory when Partey almost grabbed his second goal after a crossbar hit.
The double lead started when Lacazette stepped up and kicked the ball into the top corner from the top spot of the field to send Leicester to the 12th spot in the table at that time.
EPL season vs Watford - Mar 6, 2022
Arsenal’s face up against Watford was a thrilling match that had both sides playing well. While the match ended dirtily, the game was still thrilling from start to finish.
What made the game incredibly entertaining was the back-and-forth goals of the two teams where Bukayo Saka ended the game with his final goal that placed the team in a 3-2 advantage by the end of the amazing matchup.
EPL season vs Leeds United - Dec 26, 2021
Young forward Gabriel Martinelli doubled his scoring sheet as Arsenal obliterated Leeds United out of the field with a 4-1 skid. Somehow, the team that day simply clicked and the offence was flowing as usual with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe each scoring a goal to take the lead even further against Leeds.
Martinelli's brace in the 28th minute gave Arsenal a 2-0 lead in the first half, after Leeds' 7-goal loss to Manchester City on Wednesday.
When Bukayo Saka scored a third goal for Arsenal only three minutes before halftime, the score at Elland Road was everything but flattering for Leeds.
Southampton F.C.: Looking at the Saints’ 21-22 season
On the other side of the EPL, Southampton is an up and coming team with several impressive young players who are bound to be the future of the league. Ralph Hasenhüttl did a great job honing the skills and talents of Southampton to become legends in the Premier League.
Challenge of rising up to the table
Southampton is undeniably the team with the most potential. However, they are seated at the middle of the table which means their young talent and stars have a lot of work to do to rise to the top.
Potential stars like Felix Keith and Charlie Crowhurst are among the brightest players that have the highest chances of making it to at least the top 50 players in the league. However, the emergence of Jan Bednarek has provided Southampton with a lot of promise for young talent as the rest of the roster can become one of the top-tier clubs in future seasons.
The biggest hurdle Southampton faces in the 2021-22 season is the established teams with already prime players playing at an elite level. Current dynasties like Manchester City and Liverpool are clubs that have stars with a great ensemble of players that have established rapport and chemistry.
While Southampton can be as good as their team record-wise, it might take a little more time to develop the players into the superstars that they are. With veteran footballers like Willy Caballero and Theo Walcott, they can hone to become the leaders that they are born to be and take the team to higher levels in the EPL table.
Will Southampton turn the season around?
It’s definitely hard to say as of this time of writing, but Southampton needs to find their groove again and start winning games. One of the main focuses that they should work on is their offence.
While it’s understandable as a young team to find the rhythm on the offence, manager Ralph Hasenhüttl should at least draw a play for each great player in the roster to offensively make an impression against other clubs.
Though not awful, Southampton is averaging 1.19 goals a game which is respectable in a lot of aspects. With great teams emerging from the table, the club has to do a lot more which is expected in the future.
Their defence is quite stellar this season as well averaging only 1.68 goals against each game. If they can at least get close to 1.50 or 2 goals a game, then that would be a great improvement that will allow them to surpass the competition in the future.
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Southampton’s top 3 games in the 2021-22 season
While Southampton is challenged by the climb they have to make to reach the top-tier rankings on the table, the Saints had great success in a few games that were remarkable in their own rights. Here are the best games of Southampton in the 2021-22 season.
EPL season vs West Ham - Dec 26, 2021
The Southampton and West Ham match up turned into an offensive game that had both teams close to winning. However, the Saints got back on track after an abysmal start of the game where they ultimately led West Ham 3-2.
This victory was a good sign to come as Southampton defeated West Ham again which happened to have fielded some of the league's youngest teams in their best games in the 21-22 season.
EPL season vs Norwich City - Feb 26, 2022
Southampton once again defeated a relegation-threatened team of Norwich City. It was due to an incredible offence that turned into a 0-2 hole for the opposing team. The win over Norwich City forced the latter to be at the bottom-tier in the table which can lead to a relegation.
EPL season vs Everton - Feb 19, 2022
Southampton punished Everton's careless plays and won 2-0 at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday, thanks to goals from Stuart Armstrong and Shane Long.
The host team took advantage of a careless Everton midfield error on 52 minutes when Armstrong hammered a low shot into the bottom right corner.
A header from Valentino Livramento's cross put the game out of reach for Jordan Pickford with six minutes left, but Long had already put the game way out of touch as the score stretched to two by the end of the match.
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Arsenal vs. Southampton: A preview of the exciting April 16 marquee matchup
The upcoming April 16 matchup between Arsenal and Southampton is one of the most anticipated because the former’s defence will finally collide with the latter’s amazing offensive young core.
Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming matchup:
What this match means for Arsenal
With a win this April 16, Arsenal will move up on the table and replace Tottenham at the 4th spot of the Champions League seeding. However, Spurs are going to play Brighton and are favoured to win.
Should both Spurs and Arsenal win on the 16th, Arsenal remains on the 5th seed and will have to make up for the standstill in the following games. Is this a must-win game? Well, of course all games are a must win for Arsenal and their supporters! But it will certainly help them reach the Champions League spot for the future.
Saints wingers on a hot streak
Saints wingers James Ward-Prowse and Stuart Armstrong are having a great offensive hot streak. They either score the ball or get touches that lead to goals due to amazing passes.
The young core of great players are on the rise and they are going to make a huge name in the future as they face the streaking Arsenal in the upcoming match.
How can Arsenal win?
With their stellar defence, Arsenal can force the ball out of a lot of offensive players. While Tierney is injured during the matchup, the team defence is more than enough to stop Southampton’s improving offence on the midfield.
Arsenal also has Bukayo Saka who is emerging into a superstar in the league and a prominent member of the club. At the end of the day, Arsenal’s defence will ultimately be the biggest difference between winning and losing the game.
How can Southampton win?
Since the team has an injured defensive line, Southampton may steal a win due to their impressive offensive wingers like Prowse and Armstrong who are an elite offensive duo in the league.
With strong rushes to the goal, Arsenal’s defence may get overwhelmed despite how incredible it may be.
What does this game mean for both teams’ table standings?
For Arsenal
A win on April 16 will help Arsenal edge closer to the Champions League spot which means additional games after the season is over. Regardless if they are already in the Champions League, a win is always great for the standings which is two points for the table.
For Southampton
While they are in the middle of the table, they can fare closer to the middle teams after a great win over Arsenal which could prove that they are coming in the future. No matter who wins the match, Southampton is always there to show to the world why they are a hungry young team that are slowly creeping up the table’s standings.
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Words: Vonn Consul
Image: Alamy
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