Southampton will put the memory behind of last weekend's 3-0 mauling at Anfield at the hands of Liverpool as they host Everton on Sunday in a Premier League match. A fortnight ago, the Saints suffered a 1-0 home defeat against Burnley. Southampton currently occupies the fourteenth spot with thirteen points and could climb up to the tenth place with a win over Everton at St. Mary's Stadium.
Everton managed to walk away with a point in their last weekend's 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace. However, it's the midweek 5-1 thumping at the hands of Atlanta in Europa League in midweek that hurt.
The home loss to the Italian club confirmed the exit of the Merseyside's club from European duties. Everton is currently in the 16th spot in the league standings, and the Toffees could go up to position ten after the twelveth round of the Premier League actions.
Match facts
- Nine of Southampton's last eleven Premier League matches have witnessed low-scoring with all the seven games realizing a total of fewer than three goals. However, the Saints previous match in Liverpool yielded three goals.
- Everton has been poor on the road while facing Southampton, managing just a win in their previous meetings played at St. Mary's. The Toffees have drawn in three matches while losing the remaining four contests.
- Everton has failed to register any goal in eight of their last twelve Premier League trips to Southampton. In fact, Four of the previous five games that Everton has played at St. Mary's have seen the Toffees failing to find the back of the net.
- The only victory that Everton has recorded at St. Mary's in the past 15 years was the 3-0 in August of 2015.
- It's becoming evident that Southampton has a blunt strike-force given that the Saints have failed to score even a goal in their last two Premier League matches. In fact, Southampton was unable to register even a shot on target in their 3-0 loss at Liverpool.
- The Saints have managed just nine Premier League goal and three of those goals came from penalties spots. It was in 1998/99 that Southampton registered fewer goals than this season after twelve matches in a top-flight league.
- Southampton has just managed to pick four victories in their last 20 Premier League games they've played. In that run, the Saints have drawn in seven matches and lost the remaining nine contests.
- Southampton has failed to score even a goal in 10 Premier League matches in this calendar year. It was only Portsmouth that failed to score in 11 Premier League matches within the said period in 2007.
- Everton already seems to be the team committing higher number of fouls in this term. The Toffees have conceded 157 fouls after just twelve rounds of Premier League actions- the highest in the league in this season.
- Apart from the 1-0 win over Stoke City in the opening week of Premier League action in August, the Toffees haven't kept a clean sheet in the league. In fact, Everton has allowed twenty-five goals in this term- only West Ham United has conceded more than the Toffees.
Team news
Jeremy Pied is the only player that the hosts are missing due to injury while Mario Lemina is doubtful.
Oriol Romeu is serving a ban so James Ward-Prowse may come in and fill the void left by the former Chelsea midfielder. Manolo Gabiadini and Shane Long will be battling for positions up front.
Everton has a long list of players with injuries. Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy, Yannick Bolasie, Ross Barkley, and Ramiro Funes Mori are all sidelined with injuries while Mason Holgate is doubtful to travel to Southampton.
Tom Davies and Oumar Niasse are banned from taking part in the Sunday's proceedings at St. Mary's.
Predictions
It isn't easy to figure out the side that will come on top given that the two teams are struggling and finding it hard to find the net. The match can go either, way but the home team has an edge given that the visitors have failed to walk away with victories in their recent visits. Besides, the hosts have few injuries cases and were equally not involved in midweek activities, thus leaving the players fresh for the contest.
Full-time prediction: Southampton 3-1 Everton
