Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the Premier League clash between Stoke City and Southampton. Both sides have not been displaying their best form but this match will be treated as a winnable game as they look to find some breathing space from the relegation zone.

STOKE CITY XI: Butland; Zouma, Cameron, Wimmer; Diouf, Allen, Fletcher, Pieters; Shaqiri, Choupo-Moting; Berahino

SUBSTITUTES: Grant; Johnson, Tymon, Afellay, Adam, Crouch, Ramadan

SOUTHAMPTON XI: Forster, Soares, Van Dijk, Yoshida, Bertrand, Romeu, Lemina, Davis, Tadic, Redmond, Long

SUBSTITUTES: McCarthy, Hoedt, Hojbjerg, Ward-Prowse, Boufal, Gabbiadini, Austin

Usually, we would start with the home side but let's take a look at that Southampton team news because Virgil van Dijk has been restored to the starting lineup. The centre-back has not been involved since January due to an ankle injury and after handing in a transfer request to try to force through a switch to a big-name Premier League club.

Van Dijk will partner Maya Yoshida in the centre of defence, with Wesley Hoedt only featuring on the bench. Cedric Soares and Ryan Bertrand take their place on the flanks so you could argue that this defence is the strongest available to Pellegrino.

In midfield, Pellegrino has chosen to go with Oriol Romeu and Mario Lemina, with Steven Davis offering support to the players further forward. It means that the likes of Pierre-Emerick Hojbjerg and James Ward-Prowse have to make do with a place among the replacements.

The front three consists of Dusan Tadic, Nathan Redmond and Shane Long, who has been given the nod over Manolo Gabbiadini and Charlie Austin. Long is yet to score in seven appearances this season for club or country.

Of the outfield players that we haven't mentioned, Sofiane Boufal also features on the bench. Southampton have not scored a goal while the Moroccan has been on the pitch this season and he remains with just one Premier League goal in 26 appearances since his £16m transfer from Lille.

Let's turn our attentions to the Stoke team which has been selected by Mark Hughes. The Welshman had indicated that Kevin Wimmer was struggling to come into contention for the game at the Bet365 Stadium but the summer signing features alongside Kurt Zouma and Geoff Cameron. Zouma was missing against his parent club Chelsea last weekend, while Cameron has needed to shake off a minor injury issues to take his place in the team.

In midfield, there are no surprises with Darren Fletcher and Joe Allen operating in the centre of the park and Erik Pieters and Mame Biram Diouf featuring on the flanks. Hughes is a fan of Biram Diouf playing in that position, despite initially signing him as a striker.

In attack, Erick Maxim Choupo-Moting and Xherdan Shaqiri will play either side of Saido Berahino, who gets the nod over Peter Crouch in attack. Berahino is still looking for his first goal since signing from West Bromwich Albion in January. Jese Rodriguez is not involved this afternoon.

It's a bold call from Hughes, with Berahino having not scored in 17 matches in all competitions. There appeared to be an opportunity for Crouch to feature against his former side. That's right, incase you had forgotten, Crouch used to represent the Saints, where he netted 16 times in 33 appearances in 2004-05.

RESULT! The full-time whistle has just gone at the John Smith's Stadium, with Tottenham Hotspur running out 4-0 winners away at Huddersfield Town. To take a look at our match report, click here.

You may be judging Stoke on their relatively poor start to the season but in all fairness to the Potters, they were given one of the toughest starts to the campaign. Hughes and his side have already lined up against four of the so-called "top-seven clubs". That said, their only win has come against Arsenal, and a point was recorded against Manchester United, so Hughes cannot complain too much.

However, their start does go down as their third-worst since their return to the top flight a decade ago. It's not exactly a glowing stat for Hughes but there are circumstances behind their lack of points. The same occurred last season, before Stoke eventually claimed 13th place in the table.

In some context, Hughes can count himself fortunate to still be in a job at the Bet365 Stadium. When including the back-end of the most recent campaign, just three wins have been recorded in 16 attempts. Managers have certainly been sacked for less - just ask Frank de Boer.

Lack of goals could be a theme for the afternoon so we best highlight the fact that Stoke aren't fans of scoring in the first half of Premier League matches. Just one of their five goals this season have come in the opening 45 minutes, which was Choupo-Moting's close-range effort in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United.

In completely contrasting fashion, Southampton love a first-half goal against Stoke. All but one of the Saints' last 11 goals against the Potters have come in the opening period. Keep an eye on those two stats once we have kicked off!

We have previously mentioned that Stoke have endured a poor run of form when you include the end of last season, too, and the same can be said of Southampton. As many as 11 defeats have been inflicted on the south-coast outfit although in all fairness to Pellegrino, we just say that only two have come while he has been in charge - at home to Watford and Manchester United.

Again - the goals theme. While Stoke have netted just five times in six matches, Southampton only have four goals to their name. That return is bad enough, but 75% of the strikes came in the 3-2 victory over West Ham United, who had to play the majority of the game with 10 men due to the sending off of Marko Arnautovic.

However, defending is their stronger suit - especially on the road. Southampton have already kept clean sheets at both Huddersfield Town and Crystal Palace, and while they are not exactly the highest quality of opposition, it creates a sense of resoluteness ahead of and during the trip to Staffordshire.

HEAD TO HEAD! Today's match represents the 78th time in which these two sides have faced each other in a competitive fixture, with Southampton claiming 34 wins in comparison to 29 victories for Stoke.

Stoke hold the edge over the previous five matches between the sides, with three victories being recorded during that time. However, the Saints have avoided defeat on their last two visits to the Bet365 Stadium.

Huddersfield's heavy defeat to Spurs has had an impact on the table, with the Terriers now slipping behind both Burnley and Newcastle United without the Clarets or Magpies kicking a ball. It has also enabled Southampton to be able to move past Huddersfield with a point.

Before we move onto our predictions, let's refresh your memory about last weekend's action. Stoke were struggling for numbers in defence against Chelsea and subsequently lost 4-0, but Hughes said in Friday's press conference that his side had been unfortunate. I'm not so sure that you can be unfortunate in a 4-0 defeat, but the Welshman insisted that the Potters could have snatched something had one or two things gone their way.

Southampton also suffered a setback against a Premier League title challenger with a goal from Romelu Lukaku earning a 1-0 win for Manchester United. It represented a fourth time in six attempts that Southampton haven't scored a goal this season, but Pellegrino surely has to take the positives from restricting United to just the one goal. No other team have managed that in the Premier League, Champions League or EFL Cup this season.

The Southampton Twitter people seemingly think we are about to witness a show this afternoon. If we are, we feel like it might be one of those shows which drags and drags with little end product. A footballing version of Transformers III, if you like...

It's almost show time! 😇 #saintsfc pic.twitter.com/aD0o9yBhMl — Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) 30 September 2017

PREDICTION! All in all, I have been above-average when it comes to predictions this season, but let's hope I am wrong with this one. We can only see a low-scoring affair, so we are going to predict that Southampton will run out 1-0 winners on the road.

It's time for the two teams to make their way out at the Bet365 Stadium. Don't worry, Southampton are wearing their away kit, although it would have been fun if both sides were wearing their home colours.

A reminder of the team news.

For Stoke, Hughes has made four changes - the most notable incomings being Wimmer - who was supposed to be injured - and Berahino - who hasn't scored since forever.

For Southampton - Van Dijk is back to try to show the world that he is worth the money that Southampton say he is.

KICKOFF! We are underway in the Potteries.

SHOT! It has been a relatviely fast start from the home side, with Allen having the chance to shoot from distance. However, the Welsh star blazes well over the crossbar.

We have also had the first bit of work from Van Dijk, who slid in well to block from Choupo-Moting. This is his first senior appearance since January 22.

Stoke are already making a concerted effort to get Diouf and Pieters into the game. It's not paying off thus far but theiy are giving Soares and Bertrand plenty to think about.

SHOT! Fletcher is the next Stoke player to get in on the action but the Scottish midfielder sees his long-range effort blocked by a defender. Southampton are offering very little going forward.

On the positive side, Van Dijk is having plenty of opportunities to show how much Southampton have missed him. The Saints are generally good in defence but the Dutchman is such an imposing figure.

We've also got the battle of the England goalkeepers this season. Butland has been able to maintain a watching brief, but Forster is having to remain alert. Stoke have obviously been instructed to put Van Dijk under early pressure in the hope of creating opportunities for themselves but they aren't having much joy so far.

CHANCE! Almost for Stoke. Shaqiri - who has put together a long run of games by his own standards - forces a smart stop out of Forster after turning the defender, before Diouf saw the rebound blocked.

Slowly but surely, Southmpton are settling into this one, despite having to defend that chance for Shaqiri. They still aren't making much headway in the final third but there is at least a bit of encouragement for Pellegrino.

Stoke have had seven shots on goal - albeit some of them have been blocked - but the visitors are completely bossing possession with 65% of the ball. I imagine it will be a similar story for the remainder of the match.

LATEST! Elsewhere in the Premier League, Manchester United are leading Crystal Palace thanks to an early goal from Juan Mata, while Salomon Rondon has netted for West Bromwich Albion against Watford.

Make that 2-0 to the Baggies. Jonny Evans has got the goal.

We will get back to this match now but to be honest, there's not a whole lot happening. Defences are most certainly on top.

More good play from Stoke with Choupo-Moting and Allen combining to try to set up Shaqiri, but the Swiss can't get on the end of the cross.

Previously, up the other end, Butland had to be alert to keep out Long, who has sprung the offside trap before baring down one-on-one with the England stopper.

We have gone back into the 'Southampton possession, Stoke directness' game now. In all fairness, that probably suits both teams but we remain goalless. You still feel like it is going to take something special for a goal to be scored in this fixture.

SHOT! Choupo-Moting is Stoke's top goalscorer courtesy of those two goals against Manchester United and he nearly adds a third here. However, his well-struck attempt is comfortably saved by Forster.

We are up to 13 shots in this match. You wouldn't know with the game not really sparking to life but most of those efforts haven't troubled the goal. Southampton will probably be the happier of the two teams.

BOOKING! Allen is the first player to go into the book for a late challenge on Tadic. The referee didn't have to think twice about that.

With 10 minutes to go in the first half, both sides will be placing extra emphasis on not conceding but that said, both teams are performing solidly enough to not have to chance their approach.

There was just an injury concern over Diouf, who had been down holding his shoulder. However after a bit of treatment, he looks fully recovered.

Stoke take the lead! We said in the buildup that Diouf was not known for his goalscoring any more but the Senegalese wideman has netted just his second goal since the start of last season by directing a free header past Forster. However, there is more drama to come...

PENALTY MISS! Oh Saido...

Berahino is pulled down by Van Dijk in the box and the forward is straight after the ball. However, he can't end his 31-game wait for a goal as Forster flings himself to his left to make the save.

We are into added-on time at the Bet365 Stadium. Southampton just want half time.

The half-time whistle goes in the Potteries and Stoke lead thanks to that fine header from Biram Diouf. However, it could and should have been more with Berahino having a penalty saved by Forster, which was his first in a Southampton jersey. It's still all to play for in the second half.

There were 19 shots in that first half - NINETEEN - and we are worried we would struggle for that many in the match as a whole. It has not been that much of a spectacle in terms of quality but opportunities have been regular, without the goalkeepers being tested too often.

We hope you noticed, but we will remind you anyway. That was just the second goal netted by Stoke before half time this season - as far as Premier League goals are concerned anyway. It was Biram Diouf's 19th top-flight goal for the Potters, but as we mentioned, just his second since a change of position at the beginning of last season.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion are winning their respective games against Crystal Palace and Watford, while the games involving Bournemouth and Leicester City, and West Ham United and Swansea City, remain goalless.

We are back underway in the second half. No changes for either side.

Southampton have no reason to go over the top with changes things, but Pellegrino does have options available to him. Gabbiadini and Austin are both in reserve. More specifically Gabbiadini, the Italian could pose Stoke problems with his movement if he is introduced before the Potters start sitting deeper.

Stoke think that they have a shout for a penalty when Shaqiri's cross causes confusion inside the penalty area but the referee ignores the appeals as Forster makes an easy claim.

SHOT! Moments afterwards, Cameron found himself in a position to get a speculative effort on goal but not known for his goals, the American gave an easy save to Forster.

BOOKING! Tadic joins Allen in the referee's book for a needless challenge.

CHANCE! It should be 1-1. We haven't seen many crosses from Southampton this afternoon but on this occasion, Soares's delivery from the right found Long, who failed to hit the target from close range. That chance gets gobbled up by Austin.

BOOKING! Another caution for Southampton, this time for Romeu who pulled back Shaqiri. Again, another player giving the referee little option.

CHANCE! A second headed chance for Long and a second one missed. These are big moments for Southampton. This chance was tougher and it went further off target than the first but still, if that's Austin, Southampton are perhaps back on level terms.

CHANCE! It's Van Dijk's turn to connect with a header but he, too, fails to find the target. Why on earth haven't Southampton been sending the ball into the box all afternoon?!

SUBSTITUTION! Pellegrino has realised that crossing the ball into the box is the way to go and promptly introduces a winger. Boufal is on for Davis.

If common sense prevails, Hughes will also make a change. His team are second best now and the wing-backs are having to work over-time. Biram Diouf has just got back to make a crucial challenge to prevent another cross being sent into the box.

Berahino has gone into his shell in this half and it is left to Choup-Moting to do the energy-sapping work further forward and his run - albeit into no-man's land - takes up a few seconds for the Potters and gives the defence a breather.

SUBSTITUTION! I thought Austin may have been the first striker to enter the fray but it's Gabbiadini, who replaces Redmond. Strange decision, but I guess the Italian will be lining up on the flank.

Just the 20 minutes to go at the Bet365 Stadium and still no changes for Stoke. We haven't really highlighted it but Wimmer deserves huge amounts of credit for his performance. The Austrian hasn't trained all week because of injury.

SUBSTITUTION! The first alteration for Stokes sees Crouch replace Berahino, whose belief certainly dropped after missing that penalty.

Crouch is going to come in handy when set pieces are won in and around the penalty area but the ball isn't really sticking to the veteran in attack. That's what Stoke need right now - a forward who can hold up the ball.

It was coming. It comes from a set piece, too, with Yoshida firing the ball into the net via the underside of the crossbar. It's a sloppy goal to concede and you have to make the Saints favourites now.

There used to be a fear factor about Stoke at the Bet365 Stadium but Southampton have only grown in confidence and are fully deserving of their equaliser.

Just the 10 minutes to go now. The action has quietened down slightly, but Southampton still have the edge. They have also still have two thirds of the possession.

This is better from Stoke, who get the ball into the bx through Shaqiri, but Lemina gets back to make the interception ahead of Choupo-Moting, who has put in a shift for his side today.

Stoke regain the lead and Crouch is the man who has got it! It was far from inevitable and it is a scrappy goal, with a number of goalbound efforts blocked by the Saints, but Crouch was finally on hand to score from close range for his second Premier League goal of the season.

SUBSTITUTION! Affellay is given the final few minutes on his comeback from injury with Shaqiri making way, while Austin is on for Lemina.

There will be five minutes of added-on time.

CHANCE! Gabbiadini is another who is desperate for a goal but he squanders his big chance to equalise for Southampton! The pass into his path is delightful, but he sends his resulting effort wide of the post!

CHANCE! Now Austin goes close! His header appears destined for the bottom corner but a defender manages to deflect it away for a corner.

SUBSTITUTION! Hughes decides to introduce Glen Johnson for the exhausted Biram Diouf. A sensible move!

CHANCE! Another chance goes begging for Southampton and Long! The Republic of Ireland should score after meeting a cross but he puts his effort wide.

The full-time whistle goes at the Bet365 Stadium and Stoke have held on to record what could prove to be a priceless three points. Southampton deserved at least a point given their second-half display but Crouch's goal against his former club has earned the Potters a massive win.

That will be all from Sports Mole for this game. Thank you for joining us this afternoon and we hope that you can stick around for the match involving Chelsea and Manchester City.

If you would like to read our match report for Stoke's dramatic win, click here. Goodbye for now.