Southampton will try to maintain their winning run when they host a jubilant Aston Villa at St. Mary’s on Saturday in the Premier League.
Much will be at stake when a spirited Southampton will host Aston Villa at St. Mary’s. The Saints beat Everton 2-1 last weekend, while Villa got the better of Leeds United to ease their burden.
Three successive defeats early in the tenure of Nathan Jones had deepened Southampton’s crisis. But the former Luton Town manager has managed to silence his critics with a number of overwhelming results.
Wins over Manchester City and Everton should boost their confidence ahead of a monumental fixture against Aston Villa as a victory against the Midlands outfit should set Southampton a path towards their safety.
Aston Villa are yet to be defeated in the top flight in 2023, and they will be determined to manage their fixtures without getting much carried away. The Villans are just three points adrift of both Chelsea and Liverpool, who seem to have lost their momentum.
Unai Emery has managed to turn the tide to some extent and the onus will be on him to deliver once again. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Aston Villa are looking to do the league double over Southampton this weekend for the first time since the 2004-05 Premier League season.#avfc | #utv | #vtid pic.twitter.com/zndfxKXTjo
— Aston Villa Statto (@AVFCStatto) January 20, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Southampton
Southampton don’t have any fresh injury concerns as they came from behind to register a much needed victory against Everton. Nathan Jones could also have a number of players back at his disposal as Alex McCarthy, Theo Walcott and Armel Bella-Kotchap are running hard to make themselves available against Aston Villa.
Valentino Livramento and Juan Larios continue to remain on the sidelines, and the Saints do not have any more injury concerns as of now. The manager could field an unchanged lineup from their win over the Merseysiders in the last match.
Gavin Bazunu will try to maintain his impressive form between the sticks. Duje Caleta-Car will be joined by Mohammed Salisu and Lyanco to maintain their defensive rigidity once again.
The three-man backline will have the support of Mohamed Elyounoussi and Kyle Walker-Peters as the wing-backs. Romeo Lavio and Ibrahima Diallo will form the double pivot in the midfield and will serve as an extra layer of protection in front of the backline.
James Ward-Prowse netted a brace against the Toffees in the last game, and he will try to have a huge impact from an advanced midfield position at St. Mary’s. Che Adams and Samuel Edozie should start up front, forming the strike partnership.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Bazunu; Lyanco, Salisu, Caleta-Car; Walker-Peters, Lavia, Diallo, Elyounoussi; Ward-Prowse; Adams, Edozie
Aston Villa
There have been many shake-ups for Aston Villa in the transfer market, with the ongoing window being a busy one for them. Danny Ings has joined West Ham United on a permanent deal, while Alex Moreno could be set for his Premier League bow.
Matty Cash and Ludwig Augustinsson should be fit to be in the squad, while Jan Bednarek will not be available against his parent club. Emiliano Martinez will continue between the sticks despite his rumoured exit from Villa Park amid interest from Chelsea and Manchester United. Except for Lucas Digne, the same backline could be installed against the Saints.
Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings will partner with Ashley Young and Alex Moreno to complete the defensive setup. Boubacar Kamara will try to dictate the game from the deepest midfield position, while Jacob Ramsey and Douglas Luiz will add more depth in the middle of the pitch.
Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey will approach the game with their directness from the flanks. Ollie Watkins had to be called off for an injury, but he should be fit to appear up front following Ings’s departure.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; Luiz, Kamara, Jacob Ramsey; Buendia, Watkins, Bailey
Key Stats
- Southampton have lost their last two Premier League matches against Aston Villa, last losing three in a row between April 1998 and April 1999. Aston Villa have won just one of their last five away league games against Southampton (D1 L3), a 1-0 win in January 2021 with a goal from Ross Barkley.
- Southampton picked up their first Premier League win of 2023 at Everton last time out. Having also beaten Man City in the League Cup and Crystal Palace in the FA Cup before this, Saints are looking to win four consecutive matches in all competitions for the first time since September 2016 under Claude Puel.
- Southampton have lost their last three Premier League home games, last losing four in a row at St Mary’s in November 2019. Indeed, the Saints have won fewer home points than any other side in the Premier League this term (six).
- Aston Villa have won 13 points in their six Premier League games under Unai Emery so far (W4 D1 L1), one more than they had in 13 games under Steven Gerrard/Aaron Danks this season (W3 D3 L7). The Villans have also scored as many goals in six games under Emery, than in the 13 before his arrival (11).
- James Ward-Prowse has scored four goals in his last four Premier League games, including both strikes in the Saints’ 2-1 win against Everton last time out. He’s been involved in five Premier League goals against Aston Villa (2 goals, 3 assists), only having a hand in more against Tottenham (8) and Crystal Palace (6).
Key Player
James Ward-Prowse
Southampton have one of the most daunting midfielders in James Ward-Prowse. His brilliant free-kick inspired the win over Everton last week, and the Saints will be hoping to build on their set-piece situations. The English international is Southampton’s best hope to get something out of the game against Aston Villa.
Prediction
Southampton 1-2 Aston Villa
Southampton have tightened up their defence in the recent weeks, but Aston Villa boast of a number of solid attackers who can inflict misery on the home side. The Saints will be riding on their home comfort, which has been their bedrock of recent success.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa will hope to continue going from strength to strength under the tutelage of Unai Emery. The Hard Tackle predicts the visitors to eke out a narrow 2-1 win, condeming Southampton to defeat at St. Mary’s.