Paul Merson predicts Arsenal to turn up scoring gears fast and put up a mammoth score to send off Southampton at St. Mary's from the Premier League.
Touchwood, Southampton fans, but the last few days have been brilliant for the Saints. With Will Still's official announcement on the line, St. Mary's is already buzzing for the next season.
But, hold on Saints fans as the club has a game left before they plan a stress-free break. A break that relieves them of all on-the-field miseries and off-the-field jabs from renowned pundit, Paul Merson.
Be it as a Portsmouth former or as an Arsenal legend, Merson hasn't let slip an opportunity to criticise Southampton this season.
And what better opportunity for him now, as the Saints face his beloved Arsenal side on the ultimate matchday?
Just as expected, the Sky Sports pundit has begun his pre-game forecast work against Southampton. Recently, Merson tipped the Gunners to give the Saints a humiliating send-off from the Premier League at St. Mary's.
Paul Merson sees Southampton finish the season with worst scoreline
In his Sportskeeda column, Merson mentioned: "This game has nothing in it for both teams, but I still think this could be entertaining. If Arsenal hit the right gears early on, they could even be five or six-nil up by the end of 90 minutes."
Honestly, expecting any mercy from Paul Merson feels ridiculous now. Yet, surprisingly, he ain't pulling back punches on his Arsenal-favoured comments ahead of the matchday, either.
Still, viewing his claim from a neutral perspective, we all deep down know Merson's 5-0 or 6-0 scoreline forecast isn't baseless.
Naturally, against Arsenal's in-form side, Southampton don't stand fair chances and their backline absences only stress matters further.
With Jan Bednarek and Walker-Peters' availability in doubt again, Saka and Martinelli can run riots through the Saints' defence and if they get the early pickup, any result could be on the cards.
For Southampton, there's nothing in this game except to avoid a humiliating campaign finish. Let's see how the side fares out in interim boss Rusk's last game in charge.