Afternoon all and Happy New Year! What better way to start 2015 than with some Premier League football?! Here, we will be covering a clash between two good footballing sides - Southampton and Arsenal. Let's hope it's a good one.

First of all, let's get some team news, starting with the home side...

SOUTHAMPTON XI: Forster; Alderweireld, Fonte, Gardos, Bertrand; Wanyama, Davis, Ward-Prowse; Tadic, Mane; Pelle

SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: K Davis, Yoshida, Long, Isgrove, Reed, McCarthy, Targett

Saints boss Ronald Koeman has made three alterations to his starting lineup, with Ryan Bertrand, James Ward-Prowse and Romanian defender Florin Gardos all coming into the side. As a result, Matty Targett, Maya Yoshida and the suspended Morgan Schneiderlin have dropped out.

And now for visiting Arsenal...

ARSENAL XI: Szczesny; Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Coquelin, Chambers; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Rosicky; Sanchez

ARSENAL SUBS: Martinez, Monreal, Bellerin, Maitland-Niles, Campbell, Walcott, Akpom

As expected, Danny Welbeck has missed out for Arsenal with a muscular complaint. With Olivier Giroud also suspended, Alexis Sanchez will play up front as a lone striker, with Tomas Rosicky being restored to the midfield. Also in the midfield is youngster Calum Chambers, who will take up a holding role.

Right, let's now get the pre-game thoughts of Saints defender Toby Alderweireld, who has admitted that his side need to be at their best if they are to collect all three points today:

"I hope we can start the year with a good victory. It's going to be a fantastic game I think. They are back in form, they play well, and have a fantastic squad.

"You have to be at your best to win the game if we play that kind of squad. If we are confident in ourselves we have the quality to beat them, so we will do our best."

© Getty Images

And here are the thoughts of the Southampton manager Koeman: "First of all we must have good organisation, we need to do good pressing. They have very good players so we can't give them a lot of space. The lines have to be close. Most important is the belief that we can win. For the feeling of the team, Chelsea was fantastic, it brings confidence."

Finally on the Saints for now, here is today's match squad heading out to warm-up, courtesy of the club's official Twitter page:

VINE: #SaintsFC's players head out to warm up at St Mary's. https://t.co/8YiuGQgJEz — Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) January 1, 2015

What of Arsenal, then? They come into this clash on the back of a positive festive period so far, having won London derbies against Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United. In fact, the Gunners are actually unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions. After some wobbles earlier in the campaign, it seems that Arsene Wenger's men are now on track.

And here the thoughts of Arsenal boss Wenger, who has been talking about his side's thoughts for the second half of the season:

"We will fight to be as close as possible [to the top]," he said. "We are not in a mode of calculating, we are in a mode of 'let's go to the next game and win it'," he said.

"You give your best and if there is a weakness in front of you, you want to take advantage of it. I don't know if there will be any weakness in front of us, but what I know is that we can give our best until the end of the season to have a chance to do it.

"I believe that there is a deficit between the potential we have shown and the number of points we have. That's what we want to get right. I feel we were very, very unlucky with the injuries we got. With the number of injuries we've had, we have survived quite well.

STAT! A red card today perhaps?!

5 - There have been five red cards in just six Premier League meetings between Arsenal and Southampton at St Mary's. Rambunctious. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 1, 2015

STAT! And here's another statistic, which suggests that there will be little to separate these two sides today:

STAT: The last three meetings between #SaintsFC and @Arsenal at St Mary's have ended level. — Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) January 1, 2015

PREDICTION: Right, what's going to happen today, then? These are two good footballing sides, so it should be a good encounter. Last time out against Chelsea, Southampton showed that they can live with the bigger teams, but that may have taken quite a bit out of their legs. Let's say 2-1 to the away side, with a brace from Sanchez.

Here come the two sets of players. It's certainly windy down on the South Coast, but as these two sides like to keep the ball on the floor, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Not long now until we get started.

KICKOFF! Visiting Arsenal, who are attacking from left to right in this first half, get the clash underway.

CHANCE! Very little has happened here and then all of a sudden, Pelle should have put the Saints in front. Tadic gets the better of Mertesacker down the left flank and sends over a cross for the unmarked Italian. His downward header has Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny rooted to the spot, but the ball bounces inches the wrong side of the post.

SAVE! Now we have a game on our hands! Arsenal break swiftly as Cazorla plays the ball into Sanchez 20 yards from goal. The Chilean opens up his body and then fires a shot goalwards, which Forster is forced to palm to safety.

CHANCE! This is like a game of basketball! After a Southampton attack breaks down, Arsenal spring forward. The ball eventually falls for right-back Mathieu Debuchy, but his effort is comfortably held by Forster.

You'd have to say that on the balance of play, Southampton have been the better side so far. They are keeping the ball well, with Tadic causing plenty of problems. Having said that, Arsenal do look particular dangerous on the counter-attack.

SAVE! And that should be 1-0 to Arsenal. A great attacking move from Arsenal as Sanchez pokes a pass through for Rosicky down the right flank. In turn, his cross is met by Cazorla, who has a lot of the goal to aim at from eight yards out. However, his relatively poor finish is pushed clear by Forster. The Spaniard should have done much better with that.

BOOKING! Out comes referee Craig Pawson's yellow card and it goes to Wanyama, who brings down Sanchez with a mistimed challenge. It's the first caution of the afternoon and it's deserved.

CHANCE! That's a great effort from Oxlade-Chamberlain, which deserved better. He's picked out on the edge of the area by Cazorla and despite receiving a bouncing ball, he goes for an instant shot. His effort looks goalbound until the final moment when it swings just wide.

After all those chances, Arsenal find themselves behind. Koscielny is the first to commit an error when he allows Mane to get in behind him towards the right byline. However, after that, the biggest offender is Szczesny who races off his line to approach the Southampton attacker, who in turn lobs the Arsenal goalkeeper. The wind helps take the ball away from the retreating Mertesacker, who can only help the ball on its way into an unguarded net.

And now Mane has suffered what looks to be a hamstring injury. He's back on the pitch after receiving treatment, but he's limping. Perhaps he won't last much longer.

CHANCE! The Saints should be 2-0 up! Mane picks out Ward-Prowse inside the area with a low cross, but Szczesny denies the midfielder with his left foot. The rebound falls for Pelle, but his acrobatic effort flies over the crossbar. Perhaps a defining moment in this game.

SOUTHAMPTON SUB: And that was Mane's last involvement as he limps off with that hamstring complaint. He's been replaced by youngster Harrison Reed.

There will be a minimum of three minutes of stoppage time at the end of this first half.

There goes the whistle for the break and it's the home side that lead what has been an entertaining encounter so far.

Koeman is bound to be pleased with what he has seen from his players so far. They've been good on the ball and worked extremely hard to win possession back. Looking ahead to the second half, Arsenal are likely to push men forward in search of an equaliser, so the counter-attack could prove crucial for the Saints. Where that is concerned, though, they miss the pace of the injured Mane.

As for Arsenal, it's a case of same old story. They've probably created the better openings of the two sides and have played some good football at times, yet a defensive/goalkeeper error has cost them dearly. The way that they are playing, it would be a surprise if they don't score here. However, at the same time, keeping out the Saints again may prove difficult.

MATCH ACTION! Here's a shot of the Southampton players celebrating Mane's goal:

© Getty Images

RESTART! Southampton, who lead 1-0, get proceedings back underway at the St Mary's Stadium.

It's been a positive start to the second half by Arsenal. It's them that is dictating the play, having pegged Southampton back inside their own half. Even so, they are yet to work Forster in the Saints net.

SAVE! What a stop from Forster, which keeps Southampton in front. It's all about Sanchez initially as he inherits possession inside the area and then steps inside his marker. His effort is powerful and looks destined for the bottom corner of the net, but the Saints stopper gets down just in time to deny the Chilean.

And that save from Forster is worth its weight in gold as Southampton go 2-0 up within a matter of seconds, with Szczesny once again at fault. Davis's cross from the right is intercepted by Debuchy and the ball breaks for the Arsenal keeper. However, the Pole panics, with his clearance only picking out Tadic, who had the simple task of poking in at the near post. That is calamitous from Szczesny and it's an uphill task for his side now.

ARSENAL SUB: It's one ex-Southampton player for another as Arsenal make a change. Off comes Chambers and he is replaced by Theo Walcott. It's nine years since he left the South Coast for North London - where does the time go?!

POST! Almost 3-0 for Southampton as Pelle strikes the upright for a second time with a low effort from Tadic's pinpoint cross. The rebound breaks kindly for Ward-Prowse, but he curls the ball over the crossbar as his wait for a first Premier League goal continues. Even so, the home side are threatening to run away with this.

OFF THE LINE! Once again it's shambolic from Arsenal and Koscielny in particular as the centre-back's intended back pass for Szczesny is intercepted by Tadic. He then rounds the Arsenal keeper and picks out Pelle, but with the goal at his mercy, the Italian's effort is headed off the line by Debuchy. What are the Arsenal defence doing?!

BOOKING! How is Gardos still on the pitch? The Southampton defender is extremely lucky because he brought down Sanchez, who was through on goal and about to shoot. A red card looked inevitable, but the referee only brandishes a yellow.

SOUTHAMPTON SUB: Having been ever so lucky to stay on the pitch, Gardos has been replaced. On comes Japanese defender Yoshida.

BOOKING! After a frantic 10-minute or so spell, things have settled down a little bit on the South Coast. Well, that was until Coquelin goes into the book for a late challenge on Davis and is deservedly booked.

Two of which have come in this match!

13 - There have already been more woodwork hits today than any other Premier League matchday this season. Clunk. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 1, 2015

Arsenal are seeing plenty of the ball, but chances are hard to come by. The Saints are defending very well - they look a well organised unit. What's more, they are also a threat on the counter-attack.

SUBS: A change apiece, with Arsenal bringing on 19-year-old striker Akpom to replace Debuchy. As for Southampton, Long has replaced Tadic.

Four minutes of stoppage time here at the St Mary's Stadium - surely it's game over?!

There goes the final whistle and it's Southampton that are celebrating an important three points, which keeps them in fourth. As for Arsenal, they will be ruing some big errors, that's for sure.

That's all we have time for from the South Coast. Thanks for joining us this afternoon and be sure to stick with Sports Mole throughout the evening for reaction, analysis and player ratings. Until next time, goodbye.