Aston Villa v Southampton: Inside track on the Saints
Aston Villa welcome Southampton to Villa Park hoping to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone.
We spoke to Ben Stanfield, host of Total Saints Podcast to get his view.
How has the season gone so far for Southampton, in your opinion?
Pretty poorly so far. We’ve generally done ok away from home, but St. Mary’s has become a graveyard! As many will remember, losing 9-0 to Leicester was a particular ‘highlight’ of our trials and tribulations at home!
Are you confident of avoiding the drop?
No, not really. We have a mixture of players who aren’t good enough for the Premier League and/or have very little fight and commitment in them. Not an ideal recipe for success!
What kind of style can Villa fans expect to see from Southampton?
There hasn’t been much consistency to the way Saints have been playing - hence why we find ourselves in the relegation zone. I suspect we will try and sit fairly deep and look to counter-attack Villa as much as we can. With confidence low, don’t expect expansive passing and numerous chances being created!
Who are the threats for the Saints and why?
Danny Ings. Quite simply the only player who is in credit for Saints this season! Prior to the West Ham fixture he’d scored in 5 successive games. He’s the focal point of all Saints good play. If Villa keep him quiet then that’ll nullify Saints significantly.
Are there any injury worries ahead of the game?
Sofiane Boufal has been nursing a sore foot for a couple of weeks (after stubbing a toe on his kitchen table!!). It’s likely be ‘touch and go’ on whether he’s involved. Otherwise the squad looks fairly fit.
What's your predicted XI for Southampton heading into the game?
Alex McCarthy, Cedric, Jan Bednarek, Jack Stephens, Ryan Bertrand, Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse, Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg, Nathan Redmond, Danny Ings, Moussa Djenepo.
What have you made from Villa from afar? Do you think they have enough to stay in the league?
They’ve done great. I like how they’re playing and, arguably, could have picked up more points for the performances they’ve put in. John McGinn seems to be the heartbeat of the team - and I love his energy! I think it’ll still be a long season for Villa, but at this stage they seem to be showing enough to survive.
Prediction
More doom and gloom for Saints I’m afraid. Villa to win 2-1.
