Southampton FC
Burnley FC
Burnley FC
Southampton hoping for new start following International break against Burnley
Southampton 1-1 Burnley
Southampton will aim to put their troubles behind them this weekend as they face their first match following the International break.
The Saints have the worst record of any Premier League team in 2021 and have rapidly slipped down the table to 14th place after a brief stint at the top towards the end of last year.
With 33 points, they are not quite safe as of yet, though they will feel confident of beating the teams below them in the battle for survival.
Burnley are in a similar position, despite not enjoying the lofty heights which Southampton did earlier on. They have scrapped down at the bottom for much of the season, while at the same time being quietly confident of their top division status.
While neither club are likely to go down, they will view this as a real opportunity to make certain of that.
Form Guide (all comps): LWLLW
Reasons to be cheerful:
Aiming to do the league double over Burnley
Won six of their nine games against teams below them in the table
Reasons to be fearful:
Losing 10 out of last 12 is a poor return
Have only five goals from their last eight home games
No club would have wanted the International break more than Southampton. Often a break from the routine can bring a change, and that’s something desperately needed in terms of the results they’ve been recording.
10 defeats from their last 12 games is a dismal record, as well as the fact they’ve only claimed two wins from their last 17, dating back to the middle of December.
Danny Ings has only one from his last nine after starting the season brilliantly, although Saints’ failings cannot be landed solely on his shoulders.
They haven’t scored enough in general, with their home record of just five goals from their last eight games proving that the creativity has dried up.
Here, they should be able to welcome back Ings after injury, as well as James Ward-Prowse who picked up a knock on England duty.
Star Man – Che Adams
Scored in Saints’ last two league fixtures, as well as netting on International duty for Scotland recently.
Form Guide (all comps): DLDDW
Reasons to be cheerful:
Won four of the last eight meetings with Southampton (lost one)
Aiming to secure back-to-back league wins for first time since July 2020
Reasons to be fearful:
Lost to Southampton earlier in the season
The likes of Brady and Barnes remain injured
Burnley have been fighting relegation all season, but apart from the first couple of months where they were actually inside the bottom three, have never really looked like going down.
Much of that is due to the experience of manager Sean Dyche and the system which he plays, but also the determination of his players. They’ve battled hard this season and improved in recent months.
Their recent results are impressive for a side in their position – a win over Everton right before the break followed draws against Leicester and Arsenal and these have proved precious points when pulling ahead of teams such as Brighton and Newcastle.
Scoring goals has been a problem all season of course, with only West Brom and Sheffield United netting fewer this campaign. Chris Wood is their top scorer with six, whilst regular strike partner Ashley Barnes is currently out injured.
Star Man – Chris Wood
Has struggled for service for much of the season, but continues to pop up with important goals, such as in the win over Everton recently.
No clear favourite here
Will be a low scoring match
A point would be useful for both sides
None of the sides below these clubs look capable of winning too many matches in what remains of the season, so neither should be too concerned, though neither will want to lose the game.
We know exactly how tough Burnley can be to beat, while Southampton will want to show greater resistance than they have in recent months.
With neither side showing great confidence in front of goal, a low scoring draw is the like outcome here.
Southampton 1-1 Burnley
