Opta Big Match Stats: Arsenal to halve the gap to third

Olivier Giroud has a great big-match goal record this season

These Opta stats indicate that Arsenal will be moving within three points of third-placed Southampton...

Arsenal v Southampton
Wednesday, 19:45
Live on BT Sport 1

Match Odds: Arsenal 1.824/5, Southampton 5.14/1, The Draw 3.8514/5

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 19 home league games against the Saints (W14 D5)

The Gunners may have been tripped by Southampton in the Capital One Cup third round, but they consistently deliver against them in the Premier League, as they do against most opponents, having gone 23 matches unbeaten as hosts in the competition before the reverse to Man United.

Though the Saints have been great this season, criticism of their record against the elite is justified. They have faced just three of the seven sides who finished above them in 2013/14 and those fixtures brought about their only three defeats: away to Liverpool and Tottenham and at home to Man City.

Recommended Bet: Back Arsenal to win @ 1.824/5

Arsenal have been trailing at some point in five of their six Premier League games at the Emirates

As Alexis Sanchez broke the deadlock in these clubs' Capital One Cup collision in September, it is no certainty that Southampton will follow the season-long trend of away sides assuming an advantage at the Emirates, yet the bolded trend above does lend itself to a both-teams-to-score wager.

Burnley were the only of Arsenal's seven domestic guests to date this term not to find the net, with Arsene Wenger's men leaking ten times in those encounters. The visitors have been shut out in just three of their 16 clashes under Ronald Koeman - most recently against Man City - and never twice in a row.

Recommended Bet: Back both teams to score @ 1.910/11

Olivier Giroud has scored three goals in his last two Premier League games against the Saints

A broken leg ate three months out of Giroud's third campaign at the Emirates, but he has been mighty effective either side of that. The Frenchman has struck three times over the course of two starts and four appearances off the bench. Even more impressively, he has fired in all three of his outings against teams who finished in the top eight of the 2013/14 Premier League: Man City in the Community Shield, Everton on the day that he got injured and against Man United on his comeback.

Recommended Bet: Back Giroud to score @ 2.56/4