Southampton face an Aston Villa team languishing at the bottom of the table at St. Mary’s Stadium in a vital clash for Remi Garde’s struggling side.
With just five points accrued all season and just one win in 14 matches, the Villans are in dire need of a win. However, they come up against a Saints outfit that will be eager to return to winning ways after a 3-1 loss to Manchester City in the Premier League last weekend and a crushing 1-6 defeat to Liverpool in the League Cup midweek.
With many having already pencilled them in for relegation and the nearest team in the table currently at double their points tally, Villa are very much nearing a tipping point to save their season. Narrowly avoiding the drop last year, the fight is nothing new to the club, but somebody clearly has to step up and spark a resiliency if Aston Villa want to continue their legacy as one of only seven clubs to have never been a member of the top-flight in every season since its inception.
Key Battle – Graziano Pellè vs Micah Richards
Graziano Pellè has a point to prove to Ronald Koeman after the manager was very vocal about his disappointment in the Italian for talking his way into a yellow card that left him suspended for the last round. Having no difficulty finding the back of the net this season with six to his name, the striker will be at his physical best with the Villa captain matching him for strength, pace and aerial ability. Pellè will have to rely on the fluid frontline movement that has so often allowed him to find the space to open up a defence and create room to cause a threat on goal.
Micah Richards will be without his most common defensive partner of late in the form of Ciaran Clark, after the Irishman earned himself a fifth yellow card and subsequent one match ban. Undoubtedly committed to his club’s cause, the former Manchester City man will have to find a way to rally his side for the tough fight that face them to avoid the drop. Demonstrating confidence in carrying the ball out of the backline himself in the last match, the captain may again be required once again to spark his team’s attacking moves.
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Team News
Pellè returns to lead the line after serving his one match ban, greatly strengthening the Saints’ forward presence. There is some doubt on the fitness of José Fonte though, with the Southampton captain picking up a knock to knee in the last match.
Villa will be without Clark due to his suspension, while Kieran Richardson looks set to continue in left-back after the season ending injury of Jordan Amavi. Remi Garde looks also to be absent Gabby Agbonlahor, with the Englishman still fighting to return to fitness from a calf injury that has plagued him throughout the season.
Head-to-Head
With 61 previous fixtures involving these two sides the ledger sits perfectly even with 22 wins each and 17 draws.
Previous Meeting
Last season’s encounter saw a landslide 6-1 victory for Southampton, with speedster Sadio Mané scoring a record breaking two minute 56 second hat-trick.
Prediction
Despite a clear fighting spirit in some of the claret and blue players they would appear helpless to stop a full strength Saints side looking to resettle their season. Ronald Koeman will surely be wary of there being no such thing as an easy fixture in the Premier League, but his team should be able to ease past a badly out of form Villa team without requiring too much from the top draw.
Southampton 3 Aston Villa 1
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