Arsenal travel to Southampton on Wednesday evening to play their game in hand over their top-four rivals, aiming to keep alive their slim hopes of qualifying for the Champions League at a ground they have struggled at in the past.

The Gunners are still just about alive in their pursuit of chasing down two of the three sides immediately above them, but anything less than victory will all but end their league campaign.

Southampton

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As the end of the season draws ever closer, Claude Puel has had to constantly fend off questions regarding his future following what has been a rather mixed first campaign in English football on the whole.

The Saints crashed out of the Europa League in the group phase but made amends by reaching the final of the EFL Cup, which ultimately had a knock-on effect when it came to their Premier League aspirations.

A stop-start feel to their league campaign at the turn of the year, leaving Puel "frustrated" at the time, has certainly not helped matters and they now face finishing in their lowest position in four years.

The Saints currently sit just inside the top half with four games left to play, knowing that victory on Wednesday night could lift them into the lofty heights of eighth place, but lose and they are looking over their shoulder at a congested bottom half.

Just three points separate 15th-placed Watford and ninth-in-the-table Leicester City, so it is very much still all to play for as far as Puel is concerned in terms of league position in this final fortnight of the season.

The Frenchman will know that putting a gloss on the season by stringing together some late wins will certainly help his cause if his position is indeed under review, but with games against Arsenal and Manchester United to come at home momentum could be hard to come by.

Certainly if their record against top-six opposition in the league is anything to go by, at least, having drawn four and lost six of their 10 games against the division's elite sides under Puel, the most recent of which saw them fail to register a shot in what was a respectable goalless draw at Liverpool at the weekend.

That clash at Anfield may have saw the Saints fail to register a single shot on target across the 90 minutes, but it was a case of Puel outwitting opposite number Jurgen Klopp for a fourth time this season.

There is no denying that Southampton's overall record against top-six opposition has been poor, though, losing three of those aforementioned 10 games at home and conceding at least twice in the process, including a 3-0 reverse to Manchester City here three weeks ago.

That loss was followed up by a defeat at Stamford Bridge and goalless draws with Hull City and Liverpool, leaving Puel's men with two wins in their last eight since the end of March. These final four results could well decide whether the board opt to stick or twist in the summer.

Recent form in Premier League: WWLLDD

Arsenal

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The Gunners have managed to get their season back on track over the past few weeks with four wins from their last five games in all competitions, but the damage may well have been done in a disastrous start to 2017.

With their top-four hopes still hanging by a thread, likely needing wins form each of their remaining four fixtures to stand any chance of bettering Manchester City and Liverpool, the FA Cup may well come to Arsene Wenger's rescue yet again.

Arsenal have a cup final with Chelsea to look forward to later this month, having overcome Man City in a huge match at Wembley Stadium recently, at which point they will know whether they were successful in their hunt for a 21st successive finish in the top four.

If not then Wenger will have a big decision to make over his future, with a two-year contract still yet unsigned - officially, at least - making these next two weeks particularly big for the long-serving Gunners boss.

After Sunday's win over Manchester United, Arsenal now have three more games in the space of six days which could define their season. It is a run that sees them face back-to-back away games against Southampton and Stoke City, with six points from six a must.

The problem for Arsenal is that they have failed to perform on their travels for a while now, losing five of their last six away games - as many as the previous 27 - and shipping 12 times in that spell, while further back it is seven defeats in nine outside the red half of North London.

Wenger's men have certainly looked more more solid since reverting to a three-man backline recently, however, with the Frenchman - still at the centre of fan protests despite a slight upturn in fortunes - making a drastic change to his formation for the first time in two decades.

Defeat to Tottenham Hotspur aside, Arsenal have performed well in the past three weeks and have a string of victories to show for it, although cynical supporters will rightly point out that it is essentially a case of same old - a disappointing season potentially ending on a high.

However, Wenger will know that a third FA Cup in four years and a 21st successive top-four finish will constitute a success for his side and, with victory in midweek enough to lift them to within three points of Man City, that is still a more-than-achievable target.

Recent form in Premier League: WLWWLW
Recent form (all competitions): LWWWLW

Team News

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Granit Xhaka hobbled off after opening the scoring against Man United last time out and is a major doubt for Arsenal, while Laurent Koscielny will also undergo a late fitness test due to a knock.

There could be a recall for Shkodran Mustafi, who is back in training and in contention for his first outing since the 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace a month ago - arguably the nadir of Arsenal's disappointing league campaign.

The big question for Wenger is who to go with up top, with Danny Welbeck finding the net against United but perhaps unable to start twice in the space of three days, meaning a possible return for French striker Olivier Giroud.

In terms of the hosts, Puel could have a number of players back in contention following lengthy layoffs, most notably top-scoring forward Charlie Austin who has been out for the whole of 2017 so far.

Austin took part in an Under-23s match last Friday, as did full-back Matt Targett, and Puel is to make a late decision on whether to include either player in his matchday squad.

There is no place for in-demand skipper Virgil van Dijk, however, with back-up keeper Alex McCarthy the other notable absentee for the Saints' third-from-last home outing of the season.

Southampton possible starting lineup:
Forster; Soares, Stephens, Yoshida, Bertrand; Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Davis; Tadic, Gabbiadini, Redmond

Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Cech; Mustafi, Koscielny, Holding; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Coquelin, Monreal; Sanchez, Ozil; Giroud

Head To Head

Arsenal have a poor recent league return at St Mary's Stadium, going five without a win there in the top flight since December 2003 - two defeats and three draws.

The Gunners could slip to a third successive league loss away to the Saints for the first time since 1985, but they did win 5-0 on the south coast in January's FA Cup fourth-round tie.

Visiting boss Wenger has a 25% win rate in his Premier League visits to St Mary's Stadium, winning just two of eight, as opposed to 60% at Southampton's former Dell home.

We say: Southampton 1-1 Arsenal

Southampton may have failed to score in three of their last four home games, while managing just 10 shots on target in their last five overall, but they have a good past record against Arsenal in home league games. The Gunners are in desperate need of victory but their hopes of a top-four finish may well be extinguished on the south coast.

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