SAINTS have the biggest opportunity yet to end their miserable run in front of their own fans against relegation rivals Stoke City on Saturday.
The Potters are the worst away side in the Premier League, have not won in nine straight attempts in the top-flight on the road and have conceded an astonishing 33 goals in their 14 away trips this season.
Paul Lambert’s strugglers have tallied just two points in their last six trips away from the Bet365 Stadium and, in that run, let in a colossal 13 goals and scored just three themselves.
All of that leaves Stoke rock bottom of the away stats with just seven points all term.
Paul Lambert’s strugglers have tallied just two points in their last six trips away from the Bet365 Stadium and, in that run, let in a colossal 13 goals and scored just three themselves.
All of that leaves Stoke rock bottom of the away standings with just seven points all term.
From a Saints perspective there is no better team to welcome to St Mary’s, the scene of many a disappointment this season, and try and finally inject some life back into their home form, which has long since gone missing.
Stoke are currently just a point behind Saints in the Premier League and, to put it mildly, this game is massive for both clubs’ ambitions of living to fight another day in the elite.
Fail to get a victory against the Potters at St Mary’s and Saints’ precarious position will significantly worsen and the already disillusioned home faithful will likely turn completely.
It should be remarked, that Stoke will likely view a trip to Saints favourably too.
One quick glance at the Premier League’s home form table gives the Potters every reason to be positive.
Not only has the atmosphere been toxic for most of the campaign at St Mary’s, but Saints themselves sit rock bottom of the home form table, having failed to win a single game in their last six in front of their own fans.
“We have to put everything on the pitch, try to finish empty with our energy and give 100 per cent,” said Mauricio Pellegrino in a rallying cry on Saints’ official website ahead of this one.
Southampton’s Under-23s have been dealt a tough home tie with Division 1 high-flyers Leicester City in the Premier League Cup Round of 16.
The Midlands outfit currently sit joint top of the Premier League 2 (Div 1) standings - level on points with Liverpool.
Radhi Jaïdi’s youngsters made it to the knockout stages of this year’s PL Cup competition by virtue of second place in Group B, with Blackburn topping the four-team seedings, while Leicester qualified as Group F winners.
All knockout ties will be one-off matches. If teams are level after 90 minutes, they will be decided by extra-time and penalties.
A date and venue for the tie will be announced once confirmed.
Here’s our pick of the best skills, flicks and tricks from February in the Premier League. Featuring the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez and more!
Paul Merson is back with his weekly Premier League predictions. Who is he tipping this time out?
Merse had a decent week last time out, tipping four correct results and one correct score as Burnley drew 1-1 with Southampton.
This week, he starts by predicting a big win for Man City in a repeat of last Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Arsenal, as well as victories for Tottenham and Liverpool in the race for the top four…
It’s a massive game for both sides. Man City have got two big games coming up and they’ll want to win both to wrap up the Premier League as quickly as possible with their Champions League pursuit in mind.
If they can do that it will give them a massive advantage. The quicker they get the league wrapped up, the quicker they can start resting players with the Champions League in mind. It’s something you definitely need to do when you get to the nitty-gritty of the quarter-finals and semi-finals, so they’ll be going all out for the win at the Emirates.
I can’t see anything but a massive Man City win. I was at the final on Sunday and from an Arsenal perspective, can you turn things around that quickly? I can’t see it at all. Not one Arsenal player gets in the Man City team and I just can’t see how they can beat them.
The Arsenal players haven’t got it in them to go out and give a performance capable of beating City. They just haven’t got it. They haven’t got that get-up-and-at-them spirit to go and close City down and go and put them under pressure from the word go.
I felt sorry for Arsene Wenger last Sunday. I’m one of his critics but sometimes you know, you are putting out a team to play in a cup final. A cup final! They’re just too comfortable at Arsenal. It’s just a nice environment at Arsenal and the players went out and played like it. Once you cross that white line that should be it, but the players just haven’t got it in them.
People could say Arsenal are at home but I just can’t see them getting a result. It’s freezing cold and the ground will be half empty. People won’t be able to get to the ground, we saw that at Tottenham yesterday.
It’s been a weird season for Burnley so far. If they didn’t start the season like they did they would be right in the mix for relegation. I cannot remember the last time they won a football match.
Meanwhile, I watched Everton against Watford last weekend and it wasn’t good. The way Everton are playing now I’d be surprised if Sam Allardyce was there next season. I know he’s got a contract beyond that but I can’t see him staying.
Bournemouth got out of jail a bit last weekend. If Jonjo Shelvey had scored for Newcastle it would have been game over for Eddie Howe’s side. As it happened, they recovered and came back from 2-0 down.
However, I think Bournemouth are poor defensively and against a decent team like Leicester, who have lost just one of their last eight league matches at the King Power Stadium, they’ll struggle.
Huddersfield have been exceptional in the last few games but then with this game, and then you look at the other fixtures this weekend, you can find yourself back in the mire quicker than you got out of it.
It’s so difficult down at the bottom but for me, Huddersfield have done the job required of them in the last few weeks so this is a bit of a free swing for them at Wembley. There’s no point in them going there and putting 10 men behind the ball and just fizzling out. They might as well have a go at Tottenham.
The last time they were at Wembley they had good memories but that being said, I’m expecting a rather routine victory for Spurs.
Will Carlos Carvalhal continue his good start to life at Swansea? He needs to as it’s all getting rather tight at the bottom. Despite their good form they are back in the bottom three and it’s a bit like the Crystal Palace story. Palace had that unbelievable run but look where they are now.
For Swansea, they’ve lost one game in six but after the defeat to Brighton they are back in the relegation zone. This is now a massive football match and a must-win game for Swansea. I’m backing them to get it.
In regards to West Ham, they’ve gone a little bit under the radar but we will be talking about them if, as I expect, they lost to Swansea. West Ham can’t afford to lose this game. Again it’s a massive game because if West Ham win then they will go six points ahead of Swansea and they will be thinking that will be getting them close to what they need to survive.
This is a difficult game to call. Southampton are really struggling at home whereas Stoke are down at the bottom but I think they’ve been a bit unlucky in recent weeks.
With a point between the two sides, this is another massive game. For me, Southampton have to win this game. It’s like a cup final for them because after this four of their next five games in the league are away from home.
This is probably one of Southampton’s biggest games in a long time, especially with an FA Cup quarter-final coming up. They have the chance to reach the last four so they’ll want to get a couple of positive result in the league before that.
If Watford win this one then they can go and put their flip flops on! On the other hand, if West Brom lose this game then I think you can turn the floodlights off on their Premier League survival hopes, especially if the Swansea result goes the way I am predicting.
A few weeks ago West Brom were probably chasing about six teams whereas now they are in a situation where they are chasing just one or two. You really need to be chasing more than that to give yourself the best possible chance of survival.
Watford ground out a win last week but let’s be honest, they weren’t great. However, they were solid at the back and got the goal they needed. I’m going to go for them to do the same this week. I watched West Brom, against Huddersfield and they were poor and I can’t pick a side who has won just three times in 30 matches to win an away game here.
Last week’s result was a huge disappointment for Newcastle. Having won the week before and to be 2-0 up away from home, winning back-to-back games in a relegation scrap can be massive.
We saw that with Huddersfield. It can give you that free swing in a game you’re not expected to win. Huddersfield can go into the Tottenham game this weekend and if they lose it’s no big deal. They did their job in the previous weeks. Newcastle could have had that with victory at Bournemouth.
They will make things difficult for Liverpool though, who will be fully focused on getting a result. They’ve got Champions League next midweek but after their first leg result, they should not be taking their eyes off Newcastle. They need as many points as possible before the Champions League quarter-finals, starting with a hard-fought win over Newcastle on Saturday.
Virgil van Dijk admits he had to “step up” his game after joining Liverpool .
The big Dutch defender completed a £75m move to Anfield from Southampton in January.
He has started Liverpool’s last four games, in which the Reds have won three, but admits it took him a while to adapt to life under Jurgen Klopp.
“I am getting used to how we play. The intensity of our game is a lot higher than what I was used to,” he told the BBC’s Football Focus.
“Every day here is tough. We work very hard, run a lot and there is a big difference. I needed to step up my game, especially in the beginning.”
Van Dijk looked set to move to Liverpool last summer but the Reds were forced into an embarrassing climb down as they were accused of making an illegal approach.
The defender eventually returned to the team but disappointing amid questions over his attitude.
“I kept my head down and kept playing. I was out for eight months and was just happy to play again,” he added.
“I just switched on again after the transfer window in the summer. I didn’t think about anything until I got a phone call from the Southampton board.”
The battle for Premier League survival enters its final straight this weekend, with the teams at the bottom all now having 10 games to save their season.
West Bromwich Albion are rooted to the foot of the table, seven points adrift of safety, but only six points separate third-bottom Swansea City and Watford in 10th.
So which clubs are most at risk of the drop and who will go down? What are the key games and factors that will decide the outcome?
Key Game: Five of Watford’s last 10 are against teams below them, but a win at home to West Brom this weekend will lift them to 36 points and ease survival fears.
Key Player: Troy Deeney – The long-serving striker is Watford’s talisman. His goal in last week’s 1-0 win against Everton was crucial and he is vital to the team’s prospects.
Impact of relegation: Big ambitions to become an established Premier League would be in tatters and upheaval would see a mass exodus from Vicarage Road.
Key Game: Back-to-back encounters with Watford, West Brom and Crystal Palace later this month will be decisive. Four points from those should see Bournemouth safe.
Key Player: Callum Wilson – The striker has scored seven goals in 18 league games this season, so Bournemouth need him to stay fit.
Impact of relegation: A wage bill that has grown over three years of top-flight football would be too heavy for the Championship, so relegation could be hugely damaging financially.
Key Game: Brighton must still play six of the top seven, with Tottenham, Burnley, Manchester United and Liverpool their last four matches, so back-to-back games against Huddersfield and Crystal Palace next month must be won.
Key Player: Lewis Dunk/Shane Duffy – Brighton’s defensive partnership has been crucial this season and they simply have to stay fit and available for the run-in.
Impact of relegation: Brighton are on a strong financial footing, but after so many years striving to go up, relegation after one season would be a hammer blow.
Key Game: Home games against Southampton, Stoke and Everton, on the final day, will decide West Ham’s fate.
Key Player: Marko Arnautovic – If the Austrian had performed to expectations at the start of the season, West Ham may now be safe, but his form has risen under David Moyes and he is the key man.
Impact of relegation: Relegation would be catastrophic on every level for West Ham and leave the club facing a worrying future in the Championship.
Key Game: After the weekend trip to Spurs, Huddersfield’s next five games are against rivals in the bottom 10. Survival hinges on those, with Manchester City and Arsenal the final two fixtures.
Key Player: Aaron Mooy – The Australia midfielder is currently out with a knee infection, but is expected back for the visit of Swansea on March 10. David Wagner’s team will need his drive and creativity.
Impact of relegation: A blow to Huddersfield’s pride, but chairman Dean Hoyle runs a tight ship and the club will be well-placed to bounce straight back.
Key Game: Home games against Southampton, Huddersfield and West Brom are huge, but Newcastle must win them.
Key Player: Jonjo Shelvey – The midfielder divides opinion, but when he performs, so do Newcastle. Rafa Benitez knows that his team’s prospects are linked to Shelvey’s performances.
Impact of relegation: Newcastle have survived relegation twice in recent years, but if owner Mike Ashley stops subsidising the club after dropping out of the top flight, it will be a grim future for at St James’ Park.
Key Game: Tough away games against relegation rivals and encounters with the top six lie ahead, so a win at home to Stoke this weekend is vital.
Key Player: Dusan Tadic – The Serbian midfielder can decide games for the Saints, but his form has been mixed this season. He needs to rediscover his best, quickly.
Impact of relegation: Southampton are well run, so relegation would be a blow, but not a catastrophic one.
Key Game: If it goes down to the wire for Palace, the final two games are against Stoke and West Brom, so they could be make-or-break.
Key Player: Wilfried Zaha – The former Manchester United winger is currently on the sidelines, but he is Palace’s match-winner and, once fit, he can inspire Roy Hodgson’s team to safety.
Impact of relegation: Palace are a robust club that has yo-yoed between the divisions in the past, so they would survive another drop into the Championship.
Key Game: Swansea must still face most of their relegation rivals, but the next two games, at home to West Ham and away to Huddersfield, will be huge.
Key Player: Ki Sung-Yeung – The South Korea midfielder gives Swansea quality on the ball and organisation in midfield and their upturn in results have coincided with his return to the team.
Impact of relegation: A damaging blow for the club’s American owners, who would have to face up to a big drop in finances outside the Premier League.
Key Game: The final two games of the season, at home to Palace and away at Swansea, may well be decisive for Paul Lambert’s team, but they face tough encounters with Manchester City, Spurs and Liverpool before those fixtures.
Key Player: Xherdan Shaqiri – The Switzerland winger is Stoke’s top scorer with seven goals and is capable of moments of magic. Lambert will need plenty of those from the former Bayern Munich man.
Impact of relegation: A decade in the Premier League has put Stoke on a strong financial footing, but they also have a list of big earners who may need to be sold.
Key Game: Alan Pardew’s team still have plenty of games against relegation rivals, but if they don’t win at Watford this weekend, it could be the end of their manager and the club’s survival hopes.
Key Player: Daniel Sturridge – When you are relying on Sturridge getting fit to save you, it highlights the dire situation facing West Brom, but Pardew’s men need goals and Sturridge, once he beats his hamstring injury, could still score them.
Impact of relegation: Expect a big clear-out at The Hawthorns, but with wealthy Chinese owners, the financial ramifications may not be cataclysmic.
Mark Ogden is a senior football writer for ESPN FC. Follow him @MarkOgden_
WATCH & VOTE: Goals of the Month in the Premier League for February
Watch our selection of the best goals from February’s Premier League action, and then vote for your favourite.
Victor Wanyama’s stunning long-range strike against Liverpool at Anfield on Super Sunday is the first on the list, before we move on to Eden Hazard’s brilliant effort for Chelsea in their 4-1 loss at Watford on Monday Night Football.
We also have Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina’s thunderbolt against West Brom at the Hawthorns in the top eight, Danilo’s gorgeous goal in Manchester City’s draw at Burnley and Jose Izquierdo’s eye-catching curler to help Brighton get the better of West Ham at the Amex.
Completing February’s candidates are Sergio Aguero’s piledriver in City’s rout of Leicester City in front of the Sky TV cameras, the forward’s fourth of that game, Xherdan Shaqiri’s sweetly taken strike for Stoke at home to Brighton and finally Mohamed Salah’s impudent effort to put Liverpool on their way to victory at Southampton on Super Sunday.
Watch the goals above and vote for your favourite below!
Southampton Football Club’s nutrition partner, Healthspan, will be giving fans the chance to win a VIP experience for two ahead of the club’s home game against Stoke, on Saturday.
In the build-up to kick-off, fans should look out for the Healthspan brand warriors who will be handing out samples of their delicious new HiLo protein bars.
Available in two flavours, Dark Chocolate & Mint and Caramel Crunch, the bars contain 20g protein and only 2g sugar, as well as added vitamins and minerals to sustain you throughout the match.
Accompanying each bar is the information you need on how to enter this exclusive competition.
One lucky winner will be drawn at random to win the following prizes…
• VIP training ground tour for two
• 2 x tickets for the final match of the season, against Manchester City
• 2 x Southampton Football Club signed footballs
If you’re not attending the match, don’t worry, you can still enter the competition here.
Liverpool have their sights set on yet another Southampton player with boss Jurgen Klopp interested in recruiting Mario Lemina this summer.
The Reds have signed six players — Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne, Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk — since June 2014 and, according to L’Equipe, are poised to add to that next season.
Last summer, Liverpool secured the signature of RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita, who will join ahead of next season.
But the French outlet claim Liverpool are not done yet with their midfield recruitment and are hopeful of bringing in the Gabon international to further bolster their options middle of the park.
Klopp, however, already has Giorginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Lallana, Jordan Henderson and, again once of Southampton, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at his disposal.
But Lemina, having previously plied his trade with Serie A giants Juventus and Ligue 1 club Marseille, has impressed since arriving on these shores, which has brought about interest from the Merseyside club.
The Gabonese, who has a contract with Saints until 2022, had been closely monitored by Arsenal before moving to St Mary’s for a then club-record £18m — broken again last month by the signing of Guido Carillo for £19.2m.
With Southampton struggling near the Premier League drop zone, the news of Liverpool sniffing around yet another one of their key players — especially after the departure of Van Dijk — will be unsettling.
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