Verdict: Draw
Best Odds: 14/5
Bookmaker: Bet365
Two sides looking to break into the top half of the Premier League table, Southampton will welcome Burnley to St. Mary’s on Saturday lunchtime.
Southampton
Starting with the hosts, while Southampton may have put up what was a spirited display away at Tottenham last time out, the Saints could only slump to a 3-2 defeat in North London and saw their FA Cup adventure come to an end. Despite skyrocketing away from the drop zone thanks to a remarkable revival at the turn of the New Year, the South Coast outfit have won just one of their last five matches across all competitions. Although Head Coach Ralph Hasenhüttl might still find his squad struggling to find their best form on home soil, the former RB Leipzig boss will be glad to see attacking talisman Danny Ings continuing to shine in the final third. Once again finding the net against Tottenham last week, the one-time Liverpool striker has scored 17 goals in all competitions in 2019-20, the most by a Southampton player in six years.
Team News
Southampton have a fully-fit squad available, with on-loan Tottenham defender Kyle Walker-Peters in line to make his debut.
Midfielder James Ward-Prowse is set to feature despite being stretchered off during the FA Cup defeat at Tottenham.
Burnley
As for the visitors, despite being left hard done by not to come away with all three points against Arsenal last time out, Burnley are enjoying quite the run against top half opposition. Despite crashing out of the FA Cup against Norwich last month, Sean Dyche’s men are unbeaten in their last three Premier League matches on the bounce, a run that saw them land back-to-back wins against Leicester and a famous 2-0 victory at Old Trafford. If Burnley are to land back-to-back victories on the road for the first time this season, Saturday’s traveling support will be calling for leading marksman Chris Wood to lead their charge. With two goals in his last three Premier League appearances, the New Zealand international is the only player in Lancashire to reach double digits so far. Knowing that just a single point this weekend would see them leapfrog Arsenal into the top half of the table, Dyche’s men will also be boosted by their most recent meeting against Saturday’s hosts. When Burnley welcomed Southampton to Turf Moor back in August, the Clarets picked up a thumping 3-0 win.
Team News
Burnley could be missing Matt Lowton and Charlie Taylor, with both defenders due to be assessed for injuries.
Forward Ashley Barnes and Johann Berg Gudmundsson remain out but new signing Josh Brownhill is in the squad.
Key Factors to Consider
- When the two sides faced off earlier in the season, Burnley picked up a 3-0 win at Turf Moor.
- Three of the last four meetings between the two sides have ended in a draw.
- Burnley are unbeaten in their last six matches against Southampton, a run that stems back to October 2016.
- Chris Wood has two goals in his last three Premier League matchups.
- Southampton have won just one of their last four Premier League matches at St. Mary’s.
Conclusion
In a battle between two sides who are looking to find a route into the top half, both Burnley and Southampton should see Saturday as a real chance to pick up maximum points this weekend. With Burnley holding what is a stellar record against the Saints, including a 3-0 win earlier in the season, the Clarets will prove to be a tough test against a Saints side who have shown some struggles on home soil. In what could be a close-fought encounter and three of the last four meetings between the two sides ending in a draw, we’re backing a similar outcome on Saturday.
Verdict: Draw
Best Odds: 14/5
Bookmaker: Bet365
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