Southampton host Swansea City in the Premier League on Saturday as Ronald Koeman looks to find a second win for the club after a rather poor start to the new domestic season.
The travelling Swans, meanwhile, will be hoping to build from a goalless draw against Everton last time out in order to push further on from seventh in the table.
Southampton
© Getty Images
The Saints go into Saturday's game knowing that they still need to kickstart their season after recording just one win in six Premier League games this term.
Koeman will obviously be disappointed by the likes of a shock 3-0 loss at home to Everton, but what might be slightly more concerning is his side's inability to turn draws against Watford, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion into wins.
In the early stages of last weekend's clash with Manchester United, it looked as though the tide might be slowly turning as the home side put the United defence under real strain. However, they eventually capitulated to the lose the game through what Koeman described as a 'lack of belief'.
Despite the loss, what will have pleased the Southampton manager was his team's threat down the flanks and the return to form of Graziano Pelle, while Sadio Mane also looked particularly menacing.
Facing Swansea presents the club with no easy task by any means, but this weekend's clash will give Koeman's charges the chance to build on some impressive developments again on home soil. Add to that the team's 6-0 League Cup victory over the MK Dons, and the coastal club might just be starting to garner the confidence required to push back to some kind of consistent form.
Southampton's poor start might not be too surprising when you consider that they have major injuries to Fraser Forster, Florin Gardos and Jordy Clasie, and they will now be eager to get going at the earliest moment possible.
Recent form: DLDWDL
Swansea City
© Getty Images
Swansea have also been a little up and down thus far, despite producing some standout performances to beat Manchester United and earn a draw away at Chelsea.
What will have irked Garry Monk is that his side have failed to build on a victory to go on and secure back-to-back wins. For example, they defeated United but then went on to lose in lacklustre fashion away at Watford.
The Swans come into this game having just been knocked out of the League Cup by Hull City, but they do have a hard-fought draw against Everton to look back on as their last fixture in the league.
Monk will be hoping that both Bafetimbi Gomis and Andre Ayew can continue their standout form into the weekend, with the frontmen scoring four and three goals so far respectively. The Welsh side will also be hoping to continue with their strong showings at the back, which have left them ranked sixth in the league in terms of best defensive performances.
Swansea's seventh position in the table suggests that they have had a fairly impressive start to the new campaign, but Monk will be aware that they have not been able to build upon victories in some of their previous games this season. A win away at St Mary's should give his side the required confidence to move forward positively, as they look ahead to home contests against Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City in the coming weeks.
Recent form: DWDWLD
Team News
© Getty Images
Southampton will be sweating on the fitness of frontman Pelle, but he is likely to recover in time from a slight knock in order to retain a starting spot in attack.
In defence, Ryan Bertrand could make a return to the side as he begins to approach a return to full fitness, while it is expected that Cedric Soares will replace Maya Yoshida at right-back following the defeat to United.
Forster, Clasie and Gardos all remain out with more serious injuries.
As for the visitors, Monk should have a full squad of players to pick from if Franck Tabanou is able to shake off the lasting effects of the cramp he picked up midweek in the League Cup.
Gomis will likely continue as the club's lone striker, while further support is to come from a creative three of Ayew, Jefferson Montero and Gylfi Sigurosson from a little deeper.
Southampton possible starting lineup:
Stekelenburg; Targett, Dijk, Fonte, Soares; Wanyama, Davis; Tadic, Ward-Prowse, Mane; Pelle
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Taylor, Williams, Fernandez, Naughton; Shelvey, Cork; Montero, Sigurdsson, Ayew; Gomis
Head To Head
When these clubs last met in the Premier League last season, Swansea were able to snatch a 1-0 win at St Mary's to take all three points thanks to a solitary goal from Jonjo Shelvey. That result came as a welcome relief to the Swans, given that they were beaten by just one goal when they hosted the Saints in the reverse of that fixture earlier in the campaign. Across their last six games against Swansea in the English top flight, Southampton have won three, drawn one and lost one.
We say: Southampton 2-2 Swansea City
Both sides like to play attacking football and that should ensure that spectators are rewarded with goals. So far this season, there have been over 2.5 goals scored in Southampton's home fixtures and Swansea will be looking to make use of that statistic by relying on a tight defence to give them hope of victory.
Each team has the ability to win this, but given the porous nature of Southampton's defence and City's inability to grind out wins it looks likely to be a high-scoring draw.
No Data Analysis info
