Southampton welcome Burnley to St Mary’s Stadium in the first of a Easter Super Sunday quadruple-header.
With both teams entering this match locked on 33 points apiece and Wolves not playing until Monday evening, victory would send Southampton or Burnley up to 13th.
Team News
Danny Ings could return for Southampton after missing the Saints’ last three games with a muscle injury.
Theo Walcott (muscle) is also in contention but James Ward-Prowse is a doubt with a calf injury suffered on international duty with England, meaning that the midfielder will face a late fitness test.
Oriol Romeu (ankle), Will Smallbone (knee) and Michael Obafemi (unspecified) remain absent.
Burnley could be without Robbie Brady after he was substituted in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw for Republic of Ireland against Qatar.
Kevin Long however is a doubt after withdrawing from international duty with an unspecified injury, although Charlie Taylor and Jack Cork (both hamstring) could return.
Ashley Barnes (thigh) remains absent.
Stat Attack
- Southampton have won just one of their last eight meetings against Burnley (W1, D3, L4).
- Burnley have avoided defeat in their last three trips to Southampton (W2, D1).
- All five of Southampton’s home league goals in 2021 have come before half time.
- Sean Dyche’s Clarets have won their last four away games in which they found the net first (W4).
- Southampton won their only previous home game refereed by Andre Marriner, beating Liverpool in early January through Danny Ings’ second minute winner.
Prediction
With both teams entering this match locked on 33 points apiece, victory would realistically seal safety for whoever wins here, although Southampton probably needs it more given their slightly tougher looking run-in.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Saints however come into this game in poor form yet they’ve enjoyed a strong FA Cup run, in which they delivered a clinical Quarter-Final win at Bournemouth with great pressing and clinical play but they need to start taking that momentum into league games if want to survive.
Burnley meanwhile are just coasting along through the season like they typically do whilst gathering enough points to avoid the drop, yet they have had the last three weeks off after a confident away win at Everton so I am hoping to see further improvement here.
This match however feels like a six pointer so a score draw would be the best bet if Southampton can shore up their defence, otherwise I am going for an away win which Burnley should get if can deliver another clinical display and soak up pressure from the hosts.
Prediction: Southampton 1-2 Burnley
Result: Southampton 3-2 Burnley
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