Team News: Shkodran Mustafi, Lucas Perez start for Arsenal

Arsene Wenger has handed starts to summer signings Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez as Arsenal welcome Southampton to the Emirates this afternoon.

Perez starts up front for the Gunners as Alexis Sanchez drops to the bench alongside Olivier Giroud.

Attacking support comes from Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as Francis Coquelin displaces Granit Xhaka to partner Santi Cazorla at defensive midfield.

Mustafi, meanwhile, takes the place of youngster Rob Holding at the heart of an otherwise-unchanged back four.

For Claude Puel's visitors, Jay Rodriguez earns a start up front alongside Nathan Redmond after he came on to score the equaliser against Sunderland last time out, with Charlie Austin dropping to the bench.

Ryan Bertrand makes his comeback from a knee problem for his first appearance of the season in the back four, while the only other change sees Jordy Clasie come back into the midfield as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg makes way.

Arsenal: Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Cazorla, Coquelin; Walcott, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Lucas Perez Subs: Ospina, Holding, Elneny, Xhaka, Iwobi, Alexis, Giroud

Southampton: Forster; Cedric, Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand; Romeu, Clasie, Davis; Tadic; Redmond, Rodriguez Subs: McCarthy, Yoshida, Long, Austin, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Targett

Keep up with all the action from the Emirates as it unfolds this afternoon with Sports Mole's live text commentary here.