Ralph Hasenhuttl wants his players to be ‘brave’ against Arsenal today.

Hasenhuttl will be managing Saints for the first time at St Mary’s and is keen for his side to get the atmosphere bouncing.

The Austrian thinks Saints are capable of causing Arsenal problems if they perform with the same intensity they’ve been showing in training.

Hasenhuttl said: “I think it’s not so difficult to get a good atmosphere in St Mary’s. It needs one chance against such a team and they are immediately behind us and help us.

“That’s what we try to do from the first minute on and it’s really all about being brave.

“We also need to have good ball possession and good decisions and deep runs, good transition after winning the ball, transition not only at the back but the front.

“When we do this, I think we have the quality to set a few problems and Arsenal should also feel as a team they know what want to do and force them to bring the best performance they need to beat us and if we do so I am absolutely proud.

“You will not get so many chances against Arsenal but when we try and take one we should try and score and earn from our investment.”

Arsenal arrive at St Mary’s on the back of a 21-game unbeaten streak.

Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been instrumental in the Gunner’ run and is the Premier League’s joint top scorer with nine goals.

Hasenhuttl knows the Gabonese international from his time in charge of RB Leipzig when Aubameyang played for Borussia Dortmund.

And Saints’ manager believes is defence will have to work as a unit if they are to have any chance of keeping him away from Alex McCarthy’s net.  

Hasenhuttl added: “We know about their speed and the qualities they have.

“I know Aubameyang from Germany as I played against him with Dortmund and he shows he is one of the best strikers in Europe.

“You can’t defend in a one against one situation you need more, good covering, deep covering, but be brave and force forward and force mistakes.

“I think we have the quality to do so if we work as a team.

“It can be an intensive 90 minutes as we have to switch between early pressing situations or midfield or lower and that’s’ the stuff we were working on this week.”