Arsenal
6-1
Southampton

Podolski (31'), Gervinho (35', 71'), Walcott (88'), Clyne (37' og.), Hooiveld (11' og.)

FT(HT: 4-1)

Fox (45')

Build-up

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pleased with Southampton's achievements

By Subhankar Mondal, Reporter | 14 September 2012

Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain believes that his former club Southampton have everything in place to have a successful 2012-13 Premier League campaign.

Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has backed Southampton to have a successful campaign in the Premier League this season.

The 19-year-old played for the Saints in 2010-11 and helped them gain promotion to the Championship before joining the Gunners.

Southampton then won promotion to the English top flight at the end of the 2011-12 campaign, and Oxlade-Chamberlain is pleased with his former club's achievements.

"I didn't ever doubt they'd have a really successful season the year I left," he told the Official Matchday Programme.

"They have a lot of very good players there like Adam Lallana, Morgan Schneiderlin, Jose Fonte and Rickie Lambert, so I always know they'd do well and am really happy about what happened.

"I wasn't at all surprised to see them go straight back up, because they've got a really tight group down there, a good team spirit with everyone singing from the same hymn sheet, a good management team and a good chairman. Everything's in place for them."

Arsenal will welcome Southampton at the Emirates on Saturday.