Premier League strugglers West Brom and Southampton face-off at the Hawthorns on Saturday in a must win game for both teams. The Baggies are rooted to the foot of the table, while visiting Saints and their under-fire boss Mauricio Pellegrino are only three points better off in 18th. A win for the Baggies would therefore draw them level with their opponents, however a rare victory for the Saints could propel them up to 13th.
Form Guide
West Brom
West Brom lost to runaway league leaders Man City in their last outing, but few expected them to return to the Midlands with a result. On the whole the club’s form is decent, with Alan Pardew’s men carving out wins over Liverpool, Brighton and Exeter, while there was a decent point earned away to Everton. That return of three wins in five matches is in stark contrast to the rotten 21 game winless run the Baggies had previously endured.
Southampton
Southampton are in the midst of their own shambolic streak. The club’s failure to topple south coast rivals Brighton means they are now without a win in an alarming 12 league matches stretching back to November - their worst top-flight winless run since 1995. However, their form in all competitions gives the Saints a small dose of optimism as they’re currently unbeaten in five league and cup matches.
Head-To-Head
West Brom vs Southampton matches are rarely classics. For example the last 14 encounters at the Hawthorns have each gone under 2.5 goals, while the last four alone have contained one goal or less.
The past 11 meetings have seen both teams score just the once, with the remaining games either draws or wins to nil. Speaking of which the Saints have triumphed 1-0 in the last two duels, while they’ve been victorious in three of the last four. October’s meeting saw Sofiane Boufal bag an absolute wonder goal five minutes from time - see below - in what was otherwise a very forgettable game.
Did You Know?
- The last 14 encounters at the Hawthorns have each gone under 2.5 goals.
- 11 of the last 25 clashes have ended all square.
- West Brom have won 3 of their last 5 league & cup games - they’d previously been on a 21 game winless streak.
- Southampton are without a league win in 12 games - the worst run in the top-4 tiers.
- The Saints sacked Alan Pardew back in 2010 after a 4-0 win.
Team News
West Brom
Daniel Sturridge came on for the final 12 minutes at Man City and perhaps should have scored. The on-loan forward will be in-line for a start on Saturday alongside former Saints striker Jay Rodriguez, and if this proves to be the case he’s likely to replace Salomon Rondon.
Defender Jonny Evans was hotly linked with a move away, but in the end he stayed put, and is expected to return after recovering from a hamstring injury, however Kieran Gibbs has been ruled out.
Southampton
Mauricio Pellegrino employed a fairly uninspiring and unadventurous starting-11 in the draw with Brighton, something which he was lambasted for on social media. The Argentine may decide to spice things up a bit this weekend and hand record signing Guido Carrillo his first start, although it would surprise few if he once again opted for Shane Long.
Meanwhile, top goalscorer Charlie Austin remains out on the sidelines.
Prediction
The severe lack of goals and excitement of the recent duels means we’re unfortunately likely to experience more of the same in the Midlands on Saturday. A rejuvenated West Brom are arguably the more likely to edge it, but with the Saints unbeaten in five games, we’re opting for a low-scoring stalemate.
West Brom 1-1 Southampton
