Southampton visit Manchester City for the second time in a week this Saturday as they hope to put a miserable few days behind them.
Saints were beaten 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday following the 9-0 drubbing against Leicester City last Friday.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side put in an improved showing against City, although it would’ve been hard not to, and will look to build on that with a shock result on Saturday.
Not only did last Friday’s horror show obliterate Saints’ goal difference but it also dropped the side into the relegation zone, a point off safety.
This weekend’s opponents currently sit in 2nd place in the Premier League after beating Aston Villa 3-0 in their last league game.
Hasenhuttl revealed in his pre-match press conference that Moussa Djenepo and Cedric Soares are both back in full training, although it’s likely that Saturday will come too soon for them.
Here’s how we predict the Southampton side to line up:
GK: Alex McCarthy
Not only did Angus Gunn have a nightmare last Friday, but McCarthy also got our Man of the Match against City on Tuesday. This past week would’ve enhanced the arguments that McCarthy deserves a second chance, and we predict him to keep his place. Although, there’s a part of me that wouldn’t be surprised to see Gunn line up between the sticks…
RWB: Yan Valery
Valery’s performance was catastrophic against Leicester, but the manager kept faith with him on Tuesday. In truth, with Cedric still a doubt, we don’t have many other options in this position.
CB: Jan Bednarek
Bednarek was the only centre-back to start both games in the past week. We predict him to make it three from three.
CB: Jack Stephens
The middle of the back three is a position that has been rotated between Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens. Yoshida was poor against Leicester and Stephens, who scored the consolation on Friday, is predicted to start again.
CB: Kevin Danso
Tuesday was Danso’s first start at centre-back and he showed some promise. Despite making a couple of mistakes, he may have done enough to keep his place.
LWB: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Hojbjerg was surprisingly used in this position on Tuesday, and due to Ryan Bertrand’s suspension, we predict him to do so again. The alternative is 19-year old Jake Vokins, but the manager has shown few signs of starting him this season.
CM: James Ward-Prowse
Ward-Prowse put in an excellent corner for the consolation against City. Despite plenty of criticism from fans, he is another one that Hasenhuttl has kept faith in.
CM: Oriol Romeu
The midfield is one of the biggest conundrums that the manager has, as the usual trio often lacks creativity. However, Romeu has arguably been the best of the three this season and is likely to start again.
RW: Sofiane Boufal
Boufal was drafted back in on Tuesday after a spell on the sidelines. If Saints are to get any joy on Saturday, the likes of Boufal are needed to drag the side up the pitch and alleviate pressure.
LW: Nathan Redmond
Redmond was one of the few who didn’t have a complete shocker against Leicester. Although his final ball hasn’t been up to the high standards that he set last season, he is still pivotal in this Saints side.
ST: Danny Ings
Hasenhuttl is unlikely to go for two strikers against City. Ings deserves to retain his starting spot.