Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has praised Southampton’s youth system ahead of the EFL Cup quarter-final clash between the teams.
Saints visit Emirates Stadium tonight, as they look to book a place in the last four of the competition and avoid exiting at this stage for a third year in succession.
Ahead of the match, Wenger praised the work being done on the south coast.
"They have certainly been the most prolific producers of top talent in England in the last 15 years,” he said.
"They have not only produced talent, but top talents. We have some examples at our club, with [Theo] Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers.
"But don't forget they've also produced top quality players like Gareth Bale, Adam Lallana and of course others.
"They do not only produce quality players, they scout very well as well, because they scouted players like Sadio Mané.”
In terms of his own plans for tonight, Wenger has indicated Arsenal will have a youthful look, but will still retain plenty of quality.
“We will have a mixture of youth and experience, but still 90 per cent of the first-team squad,” he said.
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