Tactical Watch: Ramsdale is key to defending against set pieces

What shape is Arsenal in in October?

There's no hiding from it: this Arsenal team has built on the incredible foundations of last season – in which they collected 89 points and conceded the fewest goals (29) in the league – and have only gotten stronger.

Their start to the season hasn't been particularly easy, as they have had to deal with the loss of captain Martin Ødegaard to injury and play 100 Premier League minutes with 10 men, but a look at their results leaves nothing to be desired. That's not to say there's anything wrong: they've beaten Aston Villa away, Tottenham Hotspur away, Paris Saint-Germain at home and drawn against Manchester City away – with only one goal from John Stones in the 97th minute in their last game decreased three points.

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 main creator but also the best pressing player off the ball – by reshaping the team's shape from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2.

This form consists of Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard in attack, who seem to get along extremely well in central areas, and Declan Rice with Thomas Partey in midfield. Bukayo Saka has taken over some of Ødegaard's creative duties on the right, while Gabriel Martinelli is back in form on the left.

Arsenal have followed Manchester City's example and essentially deployed four centre-backs in defense. The full-backs will rotate throughout the season, so it's hard to say who they will be, but they are all tall and built more like center-backs than full-backs. This creates a real physicality and strength in the team.

The Gunners are one of the best set-piece teams in the league. Gabriel Magalhães has already scored two goals this season and seems to have a great chance in every game. A flock of players start at the back post and then run across the goal as the ball comes in, creating space for a free header.

How can saints make this day difficult?

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

Just 17 months ago at the Emirates, the Saints scored two goals in 15 minutes en route to a draw that ended the Gunners' title bid. Harnessing the same spoiler energy will be crucial on Saturday, and the longer the game goes, the more exciting it will be. Perhaps the fact that they conceded four goals in the second half of league games, as opposed to just one in the first half, reflects this.

Upon his return to the Emirates, Aaron Ramsdale will prove crucial, not just in terms of blocking shots but also in preparing his defense for Arsenal's set-piece tactics. He's spent all of last year training them and some of the routines are the same, so that's practical knowledge.

The big chances that have come against the Gunners so far this season have been more direct: Brighton's goal, Man City's first goal and the golden chances Villa missed all came from a direct pass between the centre-backs or a direct run, who pulled the central defender. retreats.

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

• Mikel Merino is fit and will come off the bench in midweek, but that might be too early to start

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