Southampton v Arsenal – as it happened - The Guardian (blog)

Preamble:

Welcome to the latest installment of the great Arsenal love story, starring a sensibly-run entertainment business and an ambitious young buck who's had enough of staid ways and is tempted to hightail it to golder pastures. "He loves Arsenal and Arsenal loves him and reciprocity in love is the most difficult thing to find," perorated French romantic poet Arsene Wenger while swooning below Theo Walcott's balcony after Saturday's wild win over Newcastle. Walcott's hat-trick in that festival, which brought his Premier League goal tally to the season to parity with Steven Fletcher and Rickie Lambert's, should have endeared him further to Arsenal fans, many of whom were calling for him to be jilted just a few months ago, but are the board smitten enough to smash their wage structure? And are other clubs sufficiently infatuated to try to lure the winger-cum-striker away? Perhaps everyone needs another demonstration of Walcott's firepower today to make their heart grow even fonder?

Everyone except Southampton, that is. They've more or less tacked their defence together over the last month or so but there is a real risk of Arsenal banging it into smithereens again (and is that Jack Cork at right-back?). That, at least, might cool interest in Saints left-back Luke Shaw – although probably not, because regardless of what happens today the 17-year-old looks a choice talent: he has a poise and toughness far beyond his years and, incidentally, a way of passing the ball that his mildly reminiscent of Stuart Pearce, insofar as his left leg looks like an ice hockey stick slapping a puck. And the fact that Arsenal seem to want him shows, of course, that Wenger, like anyone who saw the win against Newcastle, knows that Arsenal's defence is still rickety and that, in turn, gives Southampton cause for hope. Even without the wonderful Adam Lallana, the hosts have the wherewithal to cause further embarrassment to Woijech Szczesny & co. But you've got to expect the Pole at the other end to the busiest. And with Artur Boruc back in the side, there's no telling what the score here could. I'll have a stab at Southampton 2-4 Arsenal, with Theo netting a hat-trick and Paris-Saint Germain offering £50m to make him their chéri.

Southampton: Boruc, Cork, Fonte, Yoshida, Shaw, Puncheon, Schneiderlin, S. Davis, Guly, Ramirez, Lambert.

Subs: K.Davis, Hooiveld, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Richardson, Mayuka, De Ridder.

Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Gibbs, Arteta, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Podolski, Walcott.

Subs: Martinez, Mertesacker, Coquelin, Ramsey, Rosicky, Gervinho, Giroud.