Arsene Wenger usually spends the entire Christmas period with a smile on his face.
No, he’s not a turkey enthusiast (well he might be) – he just somehow knows what it takes to win matches between Boxing Day and the FA Cup third round.
His Arsenal team have won seven of their last 10 festive fixtures, a record which puts many of their rivals to shame.
But for some reason they always hit a roadblock when they travel to the south coast.
The remaining three games were a 1-1 draw at Southampton on New Year’s Day in 2013, when Gaston Ramirez scored for the Saints…
A 2-0 defeat at the same ground exactly two years later, with Sadio Mane among the goals.
And of course, on Boxing Day 2015, which will be remembered for Shane Long leading Ronald Koeman’s side to a thumping 4-0 win.
Arsene Wenger might still love the festive programme, but he might ask the Premier League to make sure Arsenal play Southampton a little earlier next season.
