Southampton host Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon and they will be looking to boost their survival hopes with a win here.
The home side are coming into this game on the back of five defeats from the last six league matches and they will be desperate for all three points here.
Southampton are favourites to go down to the Championship and they will need a miracle to retain their status as a Premier League club next season.
Meanwhile, Fulham are currently tenth in the league table and they will be hoping to secure a top-half finish.
The London club ended their three-match losing run with a victory over Leicester City in the last league game and they will look to build on that and grind out all three points here.
Fulham have been quite vulnerable at the back this season and they will have to tighten up defensively in order to grind out a positive result here.
The London club picked up a 2-1 win over Southampton back in December and they will be hoping for more of the same this time around.
Looking forward to that packed out away end tomorrow! 😍#SOUFUL
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) May 12, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Southampton
Southampton will be without the services of Juan Larios, Mohammed Salisu, Romain Perraud and Armel Bella-Kotchap because of injuries. Tino Livramento is sidelined for the season.
Southampton are likely to lineup in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation with Gavin Bazunu in goal.
Kyle Walker-Peters and Ainsley Maitland-Niles will be deployed as the full-backs here. The two players will look to keep the side defensively compact and contribute to counter-attacking opportunities.
Jan Bednarek will partner with Lyanco at the heart of the defence.
In the midfield pivot, James Ward-Prowse will start alongside Romeo Lavia. While Lavia will look to break up the play, Ward-Prowse will look to create opportunities for his teammates from the deep.
Stuart Armstrong and Kamaldeen Sulemana will be deployed as the wingers here and they will look to add pace and flair to the side.
Carlos Alcaraz will be the central attacking midfielder behind Che Adams.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Lyanco, Bella-Kotchap, Maitland-Niles; Ward-Prowse, Lavia; Armstrong, Alcaraz, Sulemana; Adams
Fulham
Fulham will be without the services of Layvin Kurzawa, Tim Ream, Andreas Pereira, and Daniel James because of injuries.
Marco Silva is likely to continue with his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation with Bernd Leno in goal.
Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will be deployed as the full-backs. Tosin Adarabioyo and Issa Diop will be the central defenders for Fulham.
In the midfield, Harrison Reed will start alongside Joao Palhinha. The two players will look to add defensive cover to the side and drive to the midfield.
Harry Wilson and Willian will be deployed as the wingers. The two players will look to link up with the attackers and create goalscoring opportunities.
Tom Cairney will start as the central attacking midfielder and he will be the link between the midfield and the attack. Carlos Vinícius is set to lead the line for the away side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Adarabioyo, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Wilson, Cairney, Willian; Vinicius
Key Stats
- Southampton have lost 6 of their last 7 matches (Premier League).
- Southampton have won their last 3 home matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Southampton have scored at least 2 goals in their last 5 home matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- 15 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
- Fulham have conceded nine goals in the last six league matches.
Player to watch out for
Willian
32 – In Tom Cairney (32) and Willian (34), Fulham have become the first side in Premier League history to see two players aged 32 or above score twice in a single match. Wisdom. pic.twitter.com/IC4H5ZMwG0
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 8, 2023
The Brazilian midfielder seems to have discovered his peak form once again, and he has been outstanding for Fulham in his last few appearances. He will look to help the visitors open up the Southampton defence with his creativity and passing in the final third. Willian managed to score a brace in his last game and he will look to get on the scoresheet here as well.
Prediction
Southampton 1-2 Fulham
Both teams will be desperate for a win here for very different reasons. This is likely to be a close contest but Fulham will fancy their chances of grinding out all three points.
The home side are lacking in momentum and confidence right now. They have been in abysmal form in recent weeks and they are likely to fall short once again. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Fulham.
