Two sides with little left to play for lock horns on the South Coast this weekend as Southampton take on Arsenal in the Premier League's final match week.
Date: 25/05/2025
Location: St Mary's Stadium, Southampton
Kick-Off Time: 16:00
The Saints are ready to bid farewell to the Premier League for another year at least as they return to the Championship after an unsuccessful attempt at reintegrating into the Premier League fold. Just like Ipswich and Leicester, the Premier League has proven far too big of a jump for Southampton, and they make their way back to England's second tier after a sorry attempt at survival.
Fans of the club will at least be pleased that the team managed to clear Derby County's record low points tally of 11, as for some time it looked as though a new "champion" of that record was firmly on the cards. They may have avoided that embarrassment, but they're still likely to finish the season on only 12 points, which would make them equally as sorry as the Rams, with only a one point technicality formally separating the two teams.
Showings of this nature have made the debate around whether the gap between the Championship and the Premier League is becoming unsustainably large, and while the gap is certainly growing, Southampton were their own worst enemy in many regards. Their naive style of play in the early portion of the season and some very questionable, youth-focused recruitment in the summer meant they were little more than food for the league's more established sides, and while the Saints certainly aren't the first team to fall foul of these ills, they've paid a heavier price than most for it.
A season back in the Championship does not need to be a disaster but the higher-ups at the club need to get the major decisions right this summer. A savvy managerial appointment and some innovative recruitment are an absolute must this season, as any future prosperity in the Premier League will need to be planned far in advance.
Arsenal will be fairly happy to be waving goodbye to a volatile season that's brought fleeting moments of joy amidst a campaign largely comprised of anguish. For a fifth straight season, the Gunners have gone trophyless under Mikel Arteta and in a season where they were expected to hotly contest for the Premier League crown, this one will sting.
With Manchester City dropping off so significantly, there was a huge chance for another side to capitalise on that - and indeed, a side did capitalise, but that side was Liverpool. Major trophies have eluded Arsenal for a long, long time now and many are growing impatient. While the faith in Mikel Arteta is still strong, there is a feeling that he has to deliver one of the "big two" (Premier League/Champions League) next season or the club may look to move on.
Arsenal have struggled with injuries this season and Arteta himself is quick to point to that in relation to his side's exploits this season, but questions over his use of the squad - and certain players in particular - can certainly be called into question.
The Gunners need major investment, particularly in attacking areas, this summer if they want to level up as a team. Their Champions League semi-final highlighted a major discrepancy in attacking talent that exists between them and Europe's elite. Whether the club will provide Arteta with that remains to be seen, but next season's success is likely contingent on it.
Premier League 
