Arsenal and Southampton have confirmed their starting lineups for the final weekend of the Premier League season.

The clash at St Mary's is little more than a dead rubber for both sides, with Southampton condemned to a 20th-placed finish and the Gunners needing just a point to be sure of second place.

Mikel Arteta and Simon Rusk have therefore unsurprisingly decided to put out experimental teams for the final day, as Arsenal make five changes from their win over Newcastle United last weekend.

Mikel Merino, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ethan Nwaneri, Raheem Sterling and Kieran Tierney have all come into the XI, the latter starting at left-back on what will be his final appearance for the club.

Zinchenko is expected to join Merino and Declan Rice in midfield, while Thomas Partey has been given the nod at right-back as Ben White partners Jakub Kiwior in the centre-back spots.

Arteta makes five changes to Arsenal XI for final game

© Imago

There is no Riccardo Calafiori in the visitors' squad - presumably due to injury - while Kai Havertz must also make do with a place on the bench after his recent recovery from a hamstring operation.

Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard feature in a strong substitutes' contingent, while Jorginho is also among the replacements on what is expected to be his final Arsenal appearance too.

Meanwhile, Southampton head coach Rusk has also swapped nearly half of his team for the showdown with the Gunners, swapping out five players for the gameweek 38 fixture.

Ross Stewart, Lesley Ugochukwu, Yukinari Sugawara and Charlie Taylor are back in the side, while 2007-born attacker Jay Robinson makes his first start in the Premier League for the Saints.

However, another teenage attacker - Tyler Dibling - is nowhere to be seen in the squad amid speculation that he could be on the move in the summer transfer window.

Southampton XI: Ramsdale; Sugawara, Wood, Taylor, Welington; Downes, Ugochukwu; Robinson, Fernandes, Sulemana; Stewart
Subs: McCarthy, Bree, Manning, Kayi Sanda, Moore, Smallbone, Aribo, Archer, Onuachu

Arsenal XI: Raya; Partey, White, Kiwior, Tierney; Zinchenko, Merino, Rice; Nwaneri, Sterling, Martinelli
Subs: Neto, Lewis-Skelly, Jorginho, Henry-Francis, Odegaard, Saka, Kabia, Trossard, Havertz

Written by
Ben Knapton