Saturday afternoon will see two sides on the outer fringes of the relegation battle attempt to lever themselves out of trouble at St Mary’s, as Southampton take on Newcastle.
The Saints are coming off a disappointing defeat to West Ham and can move into the top half with a win, depending on other results.
Their opponents have not won in the league since mid-January, leaving them with just a single place available to climb with a win this weekend – although they can’t lose any positions either, sitting more than a match clear of Brighton (four points behind), West Ham, Watford and Bournemouth (all five points behind).
Where to Watch
| When is Kick Off?? | ?Saturday 7th March |
| ?What Time is Kick Off? | ?15:00 (GMT) |
| ?Where Is it Played? | ?St Mary’s Stadium |
| ?TV Channel/Live Stream? | ?Match of the Day on BBC One (highlights) or Sky Sports Premier League (repeat broadcast) |
| ?Referee? | ?Graham Scott |
Injury Updates
?Southampton have a smattering of injuries to deal with for this game, mainly amongst their midfielders. Winger ?Nathan Redmond (muscle) is a confirmed absence, while Stuart Armstrong was concussed during last weekend’s defeat and has been ruled out. Midfielder Will Smallbone has been ill of late and will be sidelined for this weekend, while Moussa Djenepo has return having missed the previous match for his mother’s funeral.
?Newcastle are struggling somewhat more, their back-line hit especially hard. Centre-back Ciaran Clark was ?recently ruled out for the season with an ankle injury, and the Irishman will join fellow defenders Jetro Willems (knee), Emil Krafth (ankle) and Paul Dummett (thigh) as long-term absentees. Midfielder Jack Colback (knee) and striker ?Andy Carroll (hip) are also unavailable for the game.
Predicted Lineups
?
| ?Southampton |
?McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand; Ward-Prowse, Højbjerg; Djenepo, Boufal; Ings, Long. |
| ?Newcastle |
?Dúbravka; Yedlin, Fernández, Lascelles, Rose; Hayden, Shelvey; Lazaro, Almirón, Saint-Maximin; Joelinton. |
Head-to-Head Record
It was Steve Bruce’s side who came out on top earlier this season, winning 2-1 at St James’ Park. Goals from Jonjo Shelvey and Federico Fernández were enough for the Magpies, despite ?Danny Ings opening the scoring for the south-coast side.
The hosts have the barest edge in their 37 ?Premier League meetings, having won 15 of their encounters to the Magpies’ 14. St Mary’s has become a tough trip for the visitors, who have tasted victory only once on the south coast – and not for 16 years.
Recent Form
| ?Southampton |
Newcastle? |
| ?West Ham 3-1 Southampton (29/2) | ?West Brom 2-3 Newcastle (3/3) |
| ?Southampton 2-0 Aston Villa (22/2) | ?Newcastle 0-0 Burnley (29/2) |
| ?Southampton 1-2 Burnley (15/2) | ?Crystal Palace 1-0 Newcastle (22/2) |
| ?Tottenham 3-2 Southampton (5/2) | ?Arsenal 4-0 Newcastle (16/2) |
| ?Liverpool 4-0 Southampton (1/2) | ?Oxford United 2-3 Newcastle (4/2) |
Prediction
The Magpies will take many positives from their trip to West Brom on Tuesday, but several key players will arrive more fatigued than their south-coast counterparts.
That plus the fact that the Saints have been dominant at home to Newcastle, plus the likely return of Danny Ings to the starting lineup, means it’s hard to pick against Southampton – who should move another three points closer to confirming their top-flight status for another season.
Prediction: Southampton 2-1 Newcastle
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