Mark Lawrenson believes Southampton will get back to winning ways when they clash with West Ham United this weekend.
Saints head into this fixture after a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United but won back-to-back home games against Watford and Norwich City prior to their trip up north.
West Ham, meanwhile, have been in dismal form. Their 1-0 win away at Chelsea appeared to have been a flash in the pan, with 2-0 and 3-1 losses to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal respectively following.
Lawrenson, writing for BBC Sport, predicts that Southampton will win 2-1 for the third home game on the bounce this weekend, and said:
It just feels like [Manuel] Pellegrini is an empty tube of toothpaste – they are just squeezing the last bits out of him at the moment, and it won’t be long until he is done.
While West Ham slide down the table, Saints have been heading in the opposite direction with a run of seven points from their past four games.
They were unlucky to lose to Newcastle last time out and they have looked like a different team in recent weeks. Danny Ings cannot stop scoring at the moment, which is handy for them.
Read Southampton’s verdict
Any win will do, but it is absolutely essential that Saints come away from this match with all three points under their belts.
Given how poor West Ham have been, and following a disappointing result at Newcastle, this game is a must-win.
The Hammers will also know that a defeat at St Mary’s could have significant ramifications for their hopes of Premier League survival, and Manuel Pellegrini is in desperate need of a result.
It should be a close one…
