Tactical Watch: Ramsdale key to thwarting set-piece threat

What shape are Arsenal in coming into October?

There’s no hiding from it: this Arsenal team has built upon incredible foundations from last season – in which they racked up 89 points and conceded the fewest goals (29) in the league – and have only become stronger.

Their start to the campaign hasn’t exactly been straight-forward, as they’ve had to overcome the loss of captain of Martin Ødegaard to injury and had to play 100 Premier League minutes with 10 men, but a look at their results wouldn’t suggest anything is amiss: they’ve beaten Aston Villa away, Tottenham Hotspur away, Paris Saint-Germain at home and drawn to Manchester City away – with only a 97th-minute John Stones goal taking three points off them in the latter.

Arsenal celebrate their latest set-piece goal, helping them to a 2-0 win over PSG in midweek

What can Southampton expect tactically?

Mikel Arteta has responded to the loss of Ødegaard – who is not only the team’s chief creator, but also their best pressing player off the ball – by remodelling the shape of the team from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2.

This shape pairs up Kai Havertz with Leandro Trossard in attack, who seem to have a superb understanding with one another in central areas, and Declan Rice with Thomas Partey in midfield. Bukayo Saka has taken on some of Ødegaard’s creative responsibilities from the right, while Gabriel Martinelli is back in form on the left.

Arsenal have followed Manchester City’s lead in essentially deploying four centre-backs in defence. The full-backs will be rotated throughout the season so it’s tough to pin down who they will be, but they’re all big, built more like central defenders than wide men. This creates a true physicality and steel in the team.

The Gunners are one of the best set-piece teams in the league, with Gabriel Magalhães already on two goals this season and seemingly being served up a big chance each game. A flock of players start at the back post then run across goal as the ball comes in, creating space for a free header.

How can Saints make things difficult on the day?

Arsenal matches are high-tension affairs. Due to the need to be near-perfect in a title race with a near-perfect Manchester City side, every game carries an importance, and therefore an innate nervousness – if not from the players, then certainly from the crowd.

It was only 17 months ago that Saints scored twice in 15 minutes at the Emirates en route to a draw that toppled the Gunners’ title challenge. Tapping into that same spoiler energy will be crucial on Saturday, and the longer the game goes on, the more tense it will get. Perhaps the fact they’ve conceded four goals in the second halves of league matches, as opposed to just one in the first halves, is reflective of that.

On his return to the Emirates, Aaron Ramsdale will prove crucial not only in terms of saving shots, but also in preparing his defence for Arsenal’s set-piece tactics. He spent all of last year training them and some of the routines are the same, so that’s handy knowledge.

The big chances created against the Gunners so far this season have tended to be direct ones: Brighton’s goal, Man City’s first goal and the golden chances Villa missed all featured a direct pass between the centre-backs or a direct run that pulled the centre-backs apart.

Predicted XI (4-4-2): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Saka, Partey, Rice, Martinelli; Trossard, Havertz.

• Mikel Merino is fit, stepping off the bench in midweek, but this may be too soon for a start

• Other options for rotation include Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, Jakub Kiwior, Ben White and some promising youngsters