Prediction: Southampton vs Manchester United

High-flying Southampton will be desperate to arrest the latest poor run of results when they host improved Manchester United at St Mary’s on Monday evening. Meanwhile, the Red Devils seriously bolstered their top 4 chances with four successive victories and they go into the game in excellent spirits.

Southampton exceeded all expectations in the opening exchanges, having coped brilliantly with some important departures to climb to second in the Premier League standings, but the great start will quickly be forgotten if the Saints fail to make the most out of the opportunity that presented itself. Ronald Koeman’s charges appear to be downtrend at the moment, with 1-1 draw at Villa Park followed by back to back defeats to Manchester City and Arsenal, but it is the standard of their performances that should be a main cause for concern. Key players Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic have suffered a serious dip in form over the last few weeks and there have been virtually no stand out performers for the Saints in the defeats to City and Arsenal. Another important footballer Morgan Schneiderlin is being sorely missed at the moment and with Jack Cork also out of the Manchester United game, the hosts look set to experience major problems in the centre of the park. It goes without saying that this is far from perfect time to be playing in-form Red Devils and I certainly wouldn’t rule out a third successive loss for Ronald Koeman’s side. It is also important to note that defender Toby Alderweireld is doubtful with a hamstring problem.

Louis van Gaal probably didn’t think it would take him so long to get Manchester United back where they belong, but the Dutch coach must be delighted to see his side back in the top 4 after another disappointing start to the season. The reality is the Red Devils are still not playing to their potential, but that is hardly surprising given the unbelievable problems on injury front. The most important thing is that the confidence is back following a nice string of results and no doubt that four successive wins will give the team a much needed boost ahead of the hectic festive schedule. The impressive away triumph over arch rivals Arsenal can be seen as another reason for optimism ahead of the trip to St Mary’s, while the return of Wayne Rooney, Rafael da Silva and Jonny Evans is an added bonus. Manchester United are still without Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind, Phil Jones and Luke Shaw, but the injury situation is definitely much better than just few weeks ago. Taking all this into account, I can definitely see the Red Devils recording another important win on the road to a top 4 finish.

Conclusion

Southampton are clearly struggling for form at the moment and with some important footballers either injured or far from their best, the Saints face an uphill task against revived Manchester United. The Red Devils have plenty of reason for optimism at the moment and I am backing them to win at St Mary’s.

Verdict: Manchester United Draw no bet

Best Odds: 4/5

Bookmaker: bet365