Southampton face a tough test this weekend as they travel to mid-table Everton in the Premier League.
Mark Hughes’ men know that points are imperative at this stage if they are to remain a top-flight side, with Saints desperately hoping to gain something from this fixture.
The South Coast side sit 18th in the Premier League table but are a single point behind Swansea, and three behind Huddersfield and West Ham. A win on Merseyside could lift Saints out of the relegation zone, with a crunch match against Swansea up next.
They will take confidence from last weekend’s huge 2-1 victory over Bournemouth into Saturday’s encounter, but it will be a stern test for Hughes’ side.
Everton appear to have nothing left to play for this season, as they sit comfortably in 8th position. But Sam Allardyce’s men will be no pushovers, and Saints will have to be at their best.
Last time Southampton made the trip to the North West, former Saints boss Ronald Koeman got the bragging rights over his old team, as the Toffees ran out 3-0 victors.
The game severely lacked quality for large periods, but the deadlock was broken when Enner Valencia smashed home from close range after Romelu Lukaku saw his header saved.
Eight minutes later, Maya Yoshida was deemed to have fouled Valencia in the box, with Leighton Baines calmly putting away the resulting penalty.
Then, at the death, Lukaku latched on to Tom Davies’ pass to wrap up a comfortable victory for the home side.
Saints will hope for a better performance this time around, with their Premier League status on the line.
