Thirteen months ago Saints headed to the Emirates Stadium hoping to kick start their season, what followed was one a game that bought Saints fans down to earth with a bump, now is the time to make amends for that day.

At the start of 2012/13 season Saints fans were worried that the team hadn't been strengthened enough in the summer transfer window after promotion, however despite three defeats out of the opening three games, the showing against the two Manchester clubs had been enough to suggest that Saints might be good enough after all, but the trip to North London would turn out to be a day when most Saints fans realised that the team was woefully lacking in quality, that the signings made weren't much of an improvement and something was clearly wrong.

Saints started badly and got worse and a six minute spell late in the second half saw three more goals conceded and although Danny Fox pulled one back on the break to make it 4-1 at half time the game was well and truly lost with the travelling fans wondering just how many Arsenal would rack up in the second half.

Quite bluntly we were a shambles, yes the new formation wasn't working, but it was more than that, the goalkeeper and entire back four were appalling although in fairness neither fullback was protected by the wide man in front of him, but besides that we just couldn't seem to defend, yes Arsenal smelled blood, but not a man in that side could come off the pitch with any sense of pride in his performance for Saints that day.

Just 13 months later though and things had changed, most in the 60,000 crowd that day would not have put too much money on the fixture being on the calendar the following season, probably not one of them would have gambled even a pound on the fact that Saints could go top of the Premier League !!!

But a lot has changed in that time, mainly that key players have been brought in in key areas, six of the starting line up last September will start on Saturday all being well, with Jay Rodriguez and Steven Davis likely to play key roles, so what this proves is that the core of the side has always been there, its about buying wisely.

That is hit home by the fact that debutants on that day from the bench, Gaston Ramirez and Yoshida are unlikely to even make it this time around, plus other new signing Mayuka who barely played last season and watched from the bench, that was just under £20 million pounds on players who are not contributing much a year later.

Back to the present and this summer Saints spent wisely on Dejan Lovren and Wanyama, between them around the same amount spent on the aforementioned three players, although the jury is still out on the club record signing Osvaldo.

But what is there now is a team spirit, the same sort of spirit we had as we won two separate promotions, why it wasn't there on our last trip to the Emirates is anyones guess, although in fairness it was recaptured a couple of months later as Saints dragged themselves out of the bottom three, but I think the players back then knew the manager was a dead man walking and were demotivated as a result.

So now we return to perhaps our lowest ebb last season and look to bury that nightmare, I don't want to tempt fate and say we wont get drubbed again, but what I do know is that the players who play on Saturday will be highly motivated, the 8 who played last year will be determined to put the result behind them and banish a few demons and the new guys in the team will do what they have done in every game this season, put in professional performances that will do themselves and the club proud.

For Mauricio Pochettino its simple, stick to what we have been doing for the last four games, square pegs in square holes and making key changes at key moments, if we do that then whatever the result Saints supporters up at the Emirates and indeed wherever they may be will be proud of their team, if things go well then we could find ourselves astonishingly top of the Premier League, but even if they don't then we will still be sat in a far higher position than any of us who were at the Emirates last year would have dared to have dreamed as we trudged away from the stadium thoroughly embarrassed by the performance we had just witnessed.

Photo: Action Images

stmichael added 13:10 - Nov 21 I remember last season you regularly criticised Adam Lallana for not protecting his full back and you were right to do so. This season he is so much stronger and fitter as are most of our players. He is tireless and the transformation in him and the other players is remarkable. PACE at the back in Clyne and Shaw is also making a huge difference because when we do get caught on the break we have a realistic chance of making up the ground and defending whereas our back 4 last year was just too slow. We have a team to go anywhere with a realistic chance of winning inclding the Emirates. Lets see how we do..

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SaintNick added 13:25 - Nov 21 Last season Clyne was one of the worst players on the pitch at the Emirates, yet this season he has been very good and this perhaps illustrates the point, last season we had too many passengers in the team but they have been replaced wisely in the main
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slynch added 14:44 - Nov 21 StNick! You forgot to say this: Arsenal are only top because they haven't played Saints yet. They mess about too much and other teams have let them. Pochettino will have them back pedalling and their forwards will become isolated. They have noone that can beat Lambert in the air or Lallana on the ground. They won't know what has hit them till they are 2 down. 3-0 ft.
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SaintNick added 15:41 - Nov 21 I truly hope your right slynch, I think at 5pm on Saturday either we will have had a short sharp shock or will truly be able to be called the surprise package of the season, I just have a sneaking suspicion it could be the latter
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