Southampton host Crystal Palace in the Premier League as the Saints look to continue their revival over the festive period.
The hosts, who looked down and out only a few weeks ago, have pushed themselves up to 14th place and a victory could put them within touching distance of their ninth place opponents. With a victory at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day under their belt, Southampton will have the confidence to beat anyone.
Palace are similarly in good form, and are unlikely candidates for a Europa League spot as things stand.
Where to Watch
When is Kick Off? | Saturday 28 December |
What Time is Kick Off? | 15:00 (BST) |
Where is it Played? | St Mary's Stadium |
TV Channel/Live Stream | N/A |
Referee | Andy Madley |
Team News
Southampton only have a couple of injury concerns following the win over Chelsea, with Yan Valery and Moussa Djenepo still sidelined.
Shale Long sustained a knee injury before his side's trip to the capital, but he could return in time to take a place among the substitutes.
Opta's Stats and Sound Betting Advice
Southampton will look to finish 2019 by extending their winning run to three matches with a win over an opponent against whom they have had typically had success.
The Saints have won 60 per cent (12/20) of their Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace, their highest win rate against a team they've faced at least ten times in the division.
Palace, however, are unbeaten in their last two top-flight visits to Southampton and the fact the Saints have won just seven of their 21 points at home will give the Eagles hope of a second successive win following a 2-1 defeat of West Ham last time out.
Predicted Lineups
Southampton | McCarthy; Cedric, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand; Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Redmond; Ings, Obafemi. |
Crystal Palace | Guaita; Kelly, Tomkins, Sakho, Riedewald; Kouyate, Milivojevic, McArthur; Meyer, Ayew, Zaha. |
Stats Centre
Head-to-Head Record
Historically, Southampton have been the dominant force in the fixture with 46 victories over Crystal Palace. Given the 108 meetings between the two, the Saints can boast a 42.6% win percentage over their London counterparts. Palace have just 39 triumphs, giving the Eagles a 36.1% win rate, leaving only 23 draws between the two.
Their last meeting ended in a 1-1 draw, which does not happen often in this fixture. This stalemate was the first in 20 clashes and the only one of the decade. This means that the two sides have not drawn 0-0 since 2006, setting up for another entertaining battle.
Again, the Saints have been far superior to Palace in their previous five meetings. Three victories and one defeat has set the standard for the hosts in this fixture, and both teams have scored on the last three clashes between the two sides at St Mary's.
Recent Form
Both sides are experiencing similar form and have built up momentum, but Southampton and Palace are chasing different goals.
Victory at Chelsea, who sit in fourth place, and relegation rivals Aston Villa has given the Saints a great platform to avert danger. They sit three points above the drop zone, but could move two points behind their opponents with a victory.
However, just two home victories in their previous five matches at St Mary's is form that they need to improve if Ralph Hasenhuttl's side want to stay in the Premier League.
Palace have lost one from their previous five, but have picked up just one point from an available six away from home during this period. They have only won three times on the road this term, and have not shown signs of fixing this issue.
Here's how both teams have fared in their last five matches
Southampton | Crystal Palace |
Chelsea 0-2 Southampton (26/12) | Crystal Palace 2-1 West Ham (26/12) |
Aston Villa 1-3 Southampton (21/12) | Newcastle 1-0 Crystal Palace (21/12) |
Southampton 0-1 West Ham (14/12) | Crystal Palace 1-1 Brighton (16/12) |
Newcastle 2-1 Southampton (08/12) | Watford 0-0 Crystal Palace (07/12) |
Southampton 2-1 Norwich (04/12) | Crystal Palace 1-0 Bournemouth (03/12) |
Prediction
Both sides will be high on confidence heading into this one and it is hard to choose a winner. Southampton will be eager to extend the gap between themselves and 17th place, where Palace will want to keep up the pressure on fifth place Tottenham.
With the home side coming off the back of an emphatic victory at Chelsea, it is hard to look past them. They proved that they can rely on others for goals than Danny Ings on Boxing Day and will be confident of picking up another win.
Prediction: Southampton 2-1 Crystal Palace
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Source : 90min