Southampton FC vs Leicester City, English Premier League 2024-25, Today Match Prediction

Southampton FC vs Leicester City Match Prediction & Analysis

The clash of newly promoted sides will be one to watch, as Southampton are in desperate need of their first win of the Premier League season. Having done the double over Leicester in their last Premier League campaign in 2022-23, Southampton lost both meetings in the Championship last season against the foxes by an aggregate score of 9-1. 

Anything can happen on the Saturday Southern coast. Southampton are winless in their last 20 Premier League matches (D5,L15) - failure to win this match would set a club record for their outright longest winless run in the Premier League history. Pressure is mounting on Russel Martin and a loss here could have serious ramifications. 

Leicester, meanwhile, are winless in their last 3 Premier League away games against Southampton (D2, L1), since a 9-0 win under Brendan Rogers in October 2019. The trust Steve Cooper has asked from the fans will reflect in their next 3 games which are against Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich respectively. Facundo Buonanotte’s second strike of the campaign proved decisive in opening Leicester’s winning account and more could soon follow as they face a relegation side. 

Head-to-Head Record : Both teams, in all competitions, have played each other 71 times, with Southampton having a slight edge by winning 25 of those games. Leicester has won one fewer game, while 20 of those have ended in a draw. 

Current Standings : The alarm bells are ringing at St.Mary’s for very different reasons. The Saints have accumulated a solitary point from their 7 games and sit in 19th position. Leicester sit in 15th spot with 6 points. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Southampton FC Preview

Southampton are averaging 16.6 sequences of 10+ passes in open play per game in the Premier League this season; it’s the third highest average overall this term, and by far the Saints’ highest on record (since 2014-15) in a single campaign (previously 10.1 in 2020-21). Despite that, the team is failing to create meaningful chances and convert. They have scored the least amount of goals across all 20 teams. 

As the saying goes possession is only nine-tenths of the law. But Martin’s men do not back it up. Though they’ve had the 5th highest possession in the Premier League this season (57.4%), just 3.2% of Southampton’s touches have come in the opposition box, the third lowest ratio this term. The clock is ticking and it won’t be long till the Southampton board raise questions. The Premier League has proved time and again that sometimes solutions come in the form of replacement of managers. 

Players to watch out for 

Southampton’s Flynn Downes has covered the most distance in the Premier League this season, and by a mile. The midfielder has covered 84.2 km in 630 minutes, which is equivalent to setting off from St.Mary’s Stadium and reaching the edge of Greater London Stadium. 

Stats That Matter 

Southampton are ranked 5th in ball possession with 57.9% averaging 10.9 shots per game. The Saints score an average of 0.57 goals per match with a shooting accuracy of 30%. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Yukinari Sugawara and Tyler Dibling are the top scorers with 1 goal apiece. The team has an average of 4.1 saves per game, the 6th best in the season. They have conceded an average of 2.14 goals per match

Injury list - Gavin Bazunu, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Will Smallbone and Ross Stewart will all be sidelined against the Foxes. 

Southampton Probable Starting Lineup -  Ramsdale (GK), Harwood-Bellis, Sugawara, Walker-Peters, Bednarek (DEF), Fernandes, Obling, Downes, Aribo, Manning (MID), Stewart, (FWD).

Leicester City Preview

The Foxes are one of the three teams (along with Arsenal and Man City) to have scored in every Premier League game so far this season. The foxes earned their first win of the campaign last time out, last winning consecutively in the competition in February 2023. Knowing Southampton fresh from the Championship, Steve Cooper will want to register a second consecutive win and leave the Sunny South coast with 3 points. 

Although Leicester have had fewer shots than any other Premier League team this season (58), they’re 9 goals give them a shot conversion rate of 15.5% with only Chelsea and Brentford (both 16.7%) managing higher so far. This makes the Foxes a huge threat in front of goal. Ayew and Vardy, seasoned poachers will look to add to their Premier League tally of 37 and 138 goals, respectively. 

Player to watch out for

This man has been highlighted time and again for the Foxes. Jamie Vardy has scored two goals from 5 shots this season in the Premier League - no player to have had at least 5 attempts has a better conversion rate than Vardy (40%). He has also been involved in 12 goals against Southampton in his English league career (8 goals, 4 assists) - against no side does he have a hand in more. 6 of these goals have come at St.Mary’s Stadium, including a hat-trick in October 2019. 

Stats That Matter

Leicester City are ranked fourth worst in ball possession with 41.6% averaging 8.3 shots per game. The Foxes score an average of 1.29 goals per match with a shooting accuracy of 36%. Stephy Mavididi, James Justin and Facundo Valentin-Buonanotte are the top scorers with 2 goals each this season. The team has an average of 4.7 saves per game, the 3rd best in the season. They have conceded an average of 1.71 goals per match.

Injury list - Patson Daka, Jakub Stolarczyk, Hamza Choudhury will miss the trip to the Southern coast. 

Leicester City Probable Starting Lineup -  Hermansen (GK), Kristansen, Okoli, Justin, Faes (DEF), Buonanotte, Skipp, Ndidi, (MID), Mavididi, Vardy, Ayew (FWD).

SOUTHAMPTON FC vs LEICESTER CITY
Winning Prediction

Southampton have conceded more goals following a high turnover than any other side in the Premier League this season (4). The fox in the box, Jamie Vardy will be sure to take note of that weakness. His predatory instincts in the box are second to none. Maybe the only way Southampton survive is if they play direct football that the Premier League thrives on.

Leicester City to Win (1-2)

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