| Rodriguez hungry for more game time | After making a surprise start against Inter Milan last night, Southampton forward Jay Rodriguez has spoken of his … 21-10-2016 |
| Jay Rodriguez proud but disappointed with Inter defeat | Southampton forward Jay Rodriguez has spoken of his pride to have played at the San Siro against Inter Milan last … 21-10-2016 |
| Claude Puel sticking to his rotation methods | Southampton manager Claude Puel has defended his rotation policy of the squad despite his side’s 1-0 loss to Inter … 21-10-2016 |
Craig Fleming says Southampton’s Under-18s go into Saturday’s game against Leicester City keen to build on their resolute style.
Saints have been hard to beat since the start of the season, and last weekend’s goalless draw at Brighton demonstrated further signs of progress for a team looking to push forward again.
“The performances we’ve been putting in so far have been fantastic and I think we’ve nearly matched the entire points score for last season and we’re not even into November yet, so it’s been a really solid start,” he said.
“But while we’ve been solid, we probably need to be a little bit sharper and clinical in the final third to finish off what was a good performance last Saturday.”
The draw at Brighton followed a 1-0 defeat to Norwich, with Saints having not scored since a 1-1 draw with Reading in the match prior to those fixtures.
“We’ve done a block of work on that,” said Fleming. “We did our normal conditioning on positioning and our defensive shape at the start of our work from pre-season and now we’re working on the next phase on more in possession stuff.”
| Our man of the match: Inter (A) | Southampton slipped up for the first time in the Europa League this season with a 1-0 defeat to Inter at the San … 21-10-2016 |
Eddie Howe’s men are on a high after mauling Hull last week and are decent on their own patch. Tottenham had a difficult game at Leverkusen in the week and are likely to be without key defender Toby Alderweireld. Spurs failed to beat West Brom last weekend and you can see them dropping more points on the south coast. The Gunners have won their last seven games on the spin and are banging in the goals for fun. Boro are struggling and already find themselves in a relegation scrap. Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott are all on song so expect goals galore at the Emirates.
“Jose Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge could be a cagey affair” Sean Dyche and his men have made a decent fist of things on their return to the top flight but they face a difficult afternoon on their own patch. Ronald Koeman has managed to combine attacking flair with defensive steel and they showed their credentials away from home with a cracking point at Manchester City last weekend. Ross Barkley has been issued a stern warning by Koeman so he will be desperate to impress. Stoke picked up their first win of the Premier League season against Sunderland last weekend and I think it will prove to be the turning point of their season. Hull have struggled in recent matches, failing to win in their last six and suffering heavy defeats to the likes of Bournemouth, Liverpool and Arsenal. Joe Allen will be looking to continue his sensational goalscoring form after netting five goals in his last four games for club and country.
Besides their opening day loss to Hull, Leicester have been solid against sides not competing for the title. The Foxes will be buoyed by their midweek victory over Copenhagen in the Champions League and I think they’ll have momentum at the King Power. However they have struggled against set pieces this year so far, which could lead to opportunities for Christian Benteke to get on the scoresheet. Watford have impressed me in recent weeks but I’m backing Bob Bradley to pick up his first win as Swansea manager at the Liberty Stadium. They narrowly lost to Arsenal last time out which will have encouraged the first ever American boss in the Premier League. The Hornets are resilient in defence but sometimes struggle for goals when Troy Deeney is not on song so this will be a very closely contested affair. The Swans will edge it by a single goal.
While West Ham are yet to rediscover any of the magic that saw them qualify for the Europa League last season, Sunderland have been truly awful this year. I reckon the Hammers’ defence is enough of a liability that it could give up a goal, but I only see the result going one way. Right-back Javier Manquillo is going to have his hands full dealing with Dimitri Payet on the left flank. Jurgen Klopp’s side have been running rampant so far this season - well that’s before they were blunted by Jose Mourinho’s United on Monday night in a drab goalless encounter. They will bounce back with a win this weekend but won’t have it all their own way against a well organised West Brom side who have made a steady start to the season. Philippe Coutinho will pull the stings in midfield and prove too difficult for the Baggies to handle.
Four games without a win for City was unthinkable just a few weeks ago but Pep Guardiola faces the first crisis of his reign. They shipped four goals against Barcelona in midweek and will be smarting but Sergio Aguero should be unleashed after being named as a substitute at the Nou Camp. Southampton are quietly on the rise once again and put in a promising performance against Inter Milan despite losing in Italy - they have enough to give City a scare. Jose Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge could be a cagey affair. The United boss showed he was willing to slow the game down against Liverpool with Marouane Fellaini acting as enforcer. And with Antonio Conte’s side yet to concede since adopting a 3-4-3 formation, I think a low-scoring game is on the cards. Diego Costa might well decide this one. When he’s on form he’s almost unplayable, but if Mourinho can get in his head, he could have a frustrating afternoon.
Jose Mourinho returns to former club Chelsea with Manchester United on Sunday having struggled to break down Liverpool in the 0-0 draw at Anfield, but seeing his side score four against Feyenoord.
Arsenal are flying high after their demolition of Ludogorets, which was their seventh win in a row in all competitions, and will hope add to that streak against struggling Middlesbrough, while leaders Manchester City take on Southampton hoping to get back on track after their humbling at Barcelona.
Will David Moyes finally win a game as Sunderland boss? And can Everton to push for a place among the big boys at the top of the table?
CHELSEA: Jose Mourinho will be out to prove a point on his return to Stamford Bridge and come away with all three with Manchester United. Equally, Antonio Conte will want to reinforce the growing belief that he is a worthy long-term successor to the Special One. A tight game looks in prospect with a draw the likely outcome.
Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United – Mark Worrall
MAN UNITED: Chelsea have been impressive when dispatching teams with far fewer resources, but have struggled to overcome their traditional rivals. Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho’s team are still struggling for attacking cohesion of their own, and so his homecoming - which may be a little acrimonious - looks set to be a stalemate.
Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United – Musa Okwonga
MAN CITY: With a 10-win start morphing into a run of two defeats and two draws, City need three points quickly to quell growing nerves. Having delivered many of their own problems in Barcelona, a clean sheet and goals from a restored Sergio Aguero (maybe even a penalty) would be welcome vs. Southampton.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Southampton – Simon Curtis
SOUTHAMPTON: A tough week does not get any easier as Southampton travels to the Etihad hot on the heels of a 1-0 Europa League defeat against Italian giants Inter Milan. Goalkeeper Fraser Forster may need to be on top form to keep out City’s potent attack.
Prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Southampton – Alex Crook
BOURNEMOUTH: After Bournemouth’s outstanding 6-1 win over Hull at the weekend, the Cherries will be as confident as ever in continuing their home form against Tottenham. Spurs are without key men Harry Kane and Toby Alderweireld, which also works in the home side’s favour. The Cherries will win again with Josh King netting late on.
Prediction: Bournemouth 2-1 Tottenham – Will Kent
TOTTENHAM: Bournemouth will be on a high after their 6-1 thrashing of Hull, while Spurs will be reflecting on the lack of clinical finishing in front of goal that cost them dear against both West Brom and Leverkusen. But these are the games any side that considers themselves to be title contenders should be expecting to win, and Mauricio Pochettino is likely to ring the changes to get the job done.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1-2 Tottenham – John Crace
ARSENAL: The 6-0 win over Ludogorets was their ninth from their last 10 games, and the fact that the goals are being spread around means Arsene Wenger’s side are difficult to defend against. With chief creator Mesut Ozil now turned regular goalscorer, the unpredictability means opposition can’t plan as well as they have been able to in the past. The only issue might be fatigue, but the Gunners look as if they have the squad depth to cope with that.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Middlesbrough – Andrew Mangan
MIDDLESBROUGH: It’s a big ask for Middlesbrough to pick themselves up from a demoralising and hugely disappointing 1-0 defeat at home to Watford. A trip to the Emirates is less than ideal but Boro will hope that at least some faith and character shine through in an attempt to turn things around.
Prediction: Arsenal 4-0 Middlesbrough – Catherine Wilson
LIVERPOOL: Having already witnessed the restrictive tactics of Manchester United, Liverpool fans must hope their team will be better prepared for similar measures from Tony Pulis’ West Brom. Pressure is building for the Reds to shine in every game now but a tight match will be expected with few chances.
Prediction: Liverpool 1-0 West Brom – Stephen Kelly
WEST BROM: The Baggies head to Liverpool for the second of three consecutive fixtures against teams in the top four of the Premier League. With key man Jonny Evans suspended, West Brom stalwart Jonas Olsson will step in as Tony Pulis’ side look to nullify Liverpool’s exciting front three.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 West Brom – Matthew Evans
LEICESTER: The Foxes will hope to continue in Champions League form. Leicester have been practically two different sides in the Premier League and Europe thus far. The 1-0 home win last season over the Eagles was City’s first clean sheet of the campaign and earned a pizza reward from manager Claudio Ranieri. If Leicester can defend equally as well as that day they will win comfortably.
Prediction: Leicester 2-0 Crystal Palace – Ben Jacobs
CRYSTAL PALACE: The Eagles are difficult opposition when playing away, and with Leicester City going through a patchy spell in the league, the opportunity is there for Alan Pardew’s side to take advantage. So long as the service to Christian Benteke is there, Palace have a great chance of collecting three points.
Prediction: Leicester 1-2 Crystal Palace – Rob Sutherland
BURNLEY: The hosts are expected to be without key midfielder Steven Defour due to a hamstring injury and star striker Andre Gray serves the last game of a four-match ban. The Clarets have been strong at home this season, but the pace and movement of Everton’s attack will cause them problems and a third straight league loss feels likely.
Prediction: Burnley 1-2 Everton – Jamie Smith
EVERTON: After their defensive capabilities earned a point against free-scoring Manchester City, Everton travel to Burnley in search of the right balance in the final third as only an in-form Romelu Lukaku is showing the necessary consistency at present. The Blues need to end a three-game winless run in the league.
Prediction: Burnley 0-2 Everton Luke O’Farrell
WEST HAM: The Hammers will view a home game against Sunderland as a chance to build on last week’s win against Crystal Palace. Team confidence is up and fans are looking forward to laying to rest some of the myths about their new London Stadium.
Prediction: West Ham 3-0 Sunderland – Peter Thorne
SUNDERLAND: West Ham started the season badly but are in better spirits after a win at Crystal Palace, while Sunderland still look incapable of more than an occasional draw. Only a supreme effort from David Moyes’ uninspiring and injury-ravaged squad will take anything from this game; a sound defeat seems more likely.
Prediction: West Ham 3-0 Sunderland – Colin Randall
SWANSEA: Bob Bradley helped Swansea rediscover their scoring touch last Saturday against a strong Arsenal side. This weekend they will face Watford, who can’t match Arsenal’s firepower and don’t have as good of a defence, as Bradley makes his home Premier League debut. This must be the moment Swansea turn their season around.
Prediction: Swansea 3-1 Watford – Max Hicks
WATFORD: After coming out on top in a turgid affair against Middlesbrough, Watford will be hopeful of taking another three points from another struggling side. Although not tested at the Riverside, the defence still looks creaky and is particularly vulnerable to set pieces. At the other end of the pitch, Isaac Success is quickly making a name for himself and the Swansea back line won’t be relishing their afternoon against him and Troy Deeney.
Prediction: Swansea 1-2 Watford – Mike Parkin
HULL CITY: Two months after their last Premier League win, Hull can look forward to their first inviting home fixture of the season against Stoke, an opponent they have already beaten in the EFL Cup. Hope, though, is tempered by last weekend’s thumping defeat at Bournemouth and the loss of the club’s only senior left-back, Andy Robertson, to a long-term injury. A point might not be such a bad result, if only to stop the rot.
Prediction: Hull 1-1 Stoke – Phil Buckingham
STOKE: Unlikely goal-machine Joe Allen will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing a Hull defence that conceded six goals in their last game. With any luck he will be joined on the scoresheet by an ever-improving Wilfried Bony who is yet to score a goal this calendar year. Hull 0-2 Stoke.
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Going into the latest round of games, Southampton and Hapoel Be’er Sheva had been level at the top of the standings, but both suffered 1-0 defeats that have changed the complexion of the group.
Saints were cruelly beaten away to Inter, while Be’er Sheva lost narrowly at home to Sparta Praha.
It means the Czech side now lead the way, on six points, with Inter close behind the other two, on three points.
"All the teams in this group can have chances for qualification,” Puel said after the game at the San Siro.
“It’s a good group, with good teams, and it’s open for all the teams.”
The next round of matches take place in two weeks, with Saints handed a quick chance for revenge on Inter, as they host them at St Mary’s.
“It will be important to take points in the next game and for the other games to build our qualification,” said Puel. “But it is open.”
Antonio Candreva struck in the 66th minute to condemn Claude Puel’s men to their first loss of their European campaign, despite dominating proceedings.
Saints were backed by 6,715 supporters in Italy, on a night where club-record signing Sofiane Boufal made his much-anticipated debut for the club as a substitute.
And Internazionale were also reduced to ten men late on when Marcelo Brozović received a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Pierre-Emile Højbjerg.
Puel made six changes from the 3-1 victory over Burnley in the Premier League, handing a first ever start to Sam McQueen while Shane Long, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Jay Rodriguez, James Ward-Prowse and Maya Yoshida also came in.
Boufal took his place on the bench for the first time since his summer arrival from Lille.
Internazionale boss Frank de Boer made four changes from their defeat to Cagliari last time out in Serie A, with captain Mauro Icardi keeping his place despite recent controversy.
The first chance of the game almost fell for the hosts when Cuco Martina’s loose back pass was intercepted by Icardi, but Fraser Forster closed the angle well before tipping his attempted back heel towards Éder out for a corner.
Saints looked the more assured in possession as the half went on, and Rodriguez was presented with an opportunity when he latched on to Virgil van Dijk’s searching long pass, before seeing his run into the box halted by Miranda.
Just before the half hour mark, Rodriguez was involved again as he lead an incisive counter attack, before McQueen’s cut back cannoned off him after a save from Samir Handanovic, before a clearance off the line from Yuto Nagatomo.
Moments later, Martina found space down the right before cutting the ball back to James Ward-Prowse who swept his first time shot from the edge of the box just over with Handanovic scrambling.
On 37, Martina continued to link up superbly with Dušan Tadić down the right and after his cross was flicked goalwards by Long, Rodriguez was inches away from giving Saints the lead at the far post.
While Southampton’s first-half dominance continued, Éder came closest for de Boer’s side five minutes before the interval when he latched on to Icardi’s knock down before hitting a low drive just wide.
The second-half continued in a similar vein, but Puel was forced into an early change when Long pulled up after chasing a ball down the left from McQueen and was replaced by the in-form Charlie Austin.
Rodriguez continued to be a thorn in the side of Internazionale, and, after being slid in by Højbjerg’s pass only to be denied superbly by Miranda, the resulting corner saw his header ruled out for a foul on the defender.
Despite restricting the Italian giants to very little, Saints had to be alert when Éder worked the ball to Icardi on the edge of the box, before he fired a left-footed shot over the angle.
Another chance went begging when Austin ran off the back of the defence before hitting his first time effort narrowly wide.
But on 66 minutes, it was the hosts who took the lead when Davide Santon’s pull back from the left found Antonio Candreva, who left Forster with no chance with an emphatic finish.
That seemed to bring Nerrazzurri to life and captain Icardi’s shot was blocked behind by Martina as they ried to establish control.
As Puel searched to bring proceedings level, Boufal was introduced in place of Tadić for his debut.
And after Brozović was dismissed, van Dijk came agonisingly close to levelling things when he met an inch-perfect free-kick delivery from Ward-Prowse, only to see his side-footed effort from close range saved by Handanovic.
Pressure continued to build and Saints were again denied by Handanovic when he showed superb reactions to keep out Austin’s strike.
Ward-Prowse went agonisingly close late on when his volley went inches wide.
Ahead of another packed weekend of Premier League football, Sportsmail brings you the latest squad news, odds and stats on every top flight fixture as it breaks.
Simply click on your team in the list below to find out who is ruled out and who is making a return as well as all the key statistics surrounding your club’s game.
