Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insists that he is proud of getting the club into a position where people expect them to win major trophies.

The Gunners are guaranteed to finish second in the Premier League for a third straight season, regardless of their result away to Southampton on final day, having missed out on the title to Liverpool.

They also lost in the Champions League semi-final to Paris Saint-Germain, the EFL Cup semi-final to Newcastle and were beaten in the FA Cup third round by Manchester United to ensure a trophyless season.

"The biggest thing is and using the word pride, is that we have brought the club into a position that next season 'you have to win a major trophy'," Arteta told a press conference.

That means that everybody believes that we have the level, that we have shown the consistency, and we are an elite team in this country and in Europe and if you don't do that, then what's going to happen? So, for me that's the biggest statement - that Arsenal is there.

"We all feel the same way, that we feel that we are capable of winning the Premier League. It's not just a dream or it's not just something you want to do. It's do we have everything that is needed? Even if you do, there is a lot of things that are going to play a part to win."

Going into next season, meanwhile, he acknowledged the need for additional support going forward after Kai Havertz's injury in February left them without a recognised striker for three months.

"What is clear as well with the amount of injuries that we had in the front line, that we need the goal threat. We need the firepower out there," he said.

For Southampton, meanwhile, Mateus Fernandes has been able to take the positives from a difficult campaign after being named the Daily Echo Player of the Year in his first season in England.

"First of all, thanks. I'm very happy, to be honest, it's a dream for me to play in England as well. It was a tough season for everybody," he told the Southern Daily Echo.

"I'm a much better player now than I was before. I think my personality outside of the pitch is completely different compared to inside the pitch.

"I don't like to speak too much outside of the pitch. But I have a passion to play football, to run, to try to be competitive with the other team, and of course try to win.

"It means a lot for me. I think when I speak, I speak for the players. We play for the fans, the most important thing in football are the fans."

The 20-year-old joined from Sporting in August and acknowledged the huge differences between playing in Portugal and the Premier League.

"You can't compare the Portuguese league to the Premier League. It's another level. When I did my first training session at the training ground, all the players were quality," he said.

"So I put my targets like I need to do maximum of 20 starts in the games, and I did like 30.  So it was much better than I supposed."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Southampton – Paul Onuachu

Onuachu is Southampton's top scorer this season with four goals, while he has also provided one assist.

The Nigerian forward also averages 1.4 shots per match, which is more than any other Saints player.

Arsenal – Declan Rice

Rice has had a hand in four goals in his last five league appearances (two goals, two assists).

Rice scored the only goal of the game in Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Newcastle last weekend, bringing him to 19 goal contributions in all competitions this season (nine goals, 10 assists).

MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN

Southampton have lost 29 Premier League games this season. Defeat here would see them become the first team to lose 30 times in a single campaign in the competition’s history, while also the first team to do so in a 38-game top-flight season.

Arsenal have lost just two of their last 16 Premier League games against Southampton (W8 D6), going down in December 2018 (2-3) and April 2022 (0-1).

The visitors have also won seven matches out of seven this season against teams currently in the bottom four of the table, scoring 20 goals and conceding just five.

The hosts are the lowest scorers in the Premier League with just 25 goals in 37 matches and have failed to score in any of their last three.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Southampton – 12.7%

Draw – 20.3%

Arsenal – 69.1%