Southampton v Newcastle preview: Magpies look to maintain top four push
Pressure remains on Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhüttl, and with just one win from their last ten Premier League (PL) meetings against Newcastle (D3, L6), there’s unlikely to be much let up here.
In fact, the visit of Newcastle is arguably a sterner test now than it ever has been, and their lofty position of fourth won’t be a pleasant sight for a Southampton side who have failed to win their last 13 PL games against sides starting the day in the top four (D5, L8).
The picture is equally bleak when playing on a Sunday for Southampton, who are yet to win a PL game on such a day during 2022 (D3, L2).
If it’s doom and gloom for the Saints, then it almost certainly isn’t for Newcastle, who are absolutely flying in the PL this season (W6, D6, L1).
A first PL finish inside the top-four since 2002/03 suddenly seems a very real prospect, though boss Eddie Howe insisted such a claim is “outrageous” despite Pep Guardiola stating that the Magpies are a “contender”.
With five wins from their last six PL games, it’s hard to disagree with Guardiola, and having scored 4+ goals in three of those, as many as in their 197 PL matches prior, Newcastle seem to have found a winning formula.
That goal scoring is supplemented by a water-tight backline that has kept a joint PL-high six clean sheets this season ahead of the round, but with just two shutouts from their last 11 visits to Southampton, there’s no guarantee they will add to that on the South Coast.
Players to watch: Both James Ward-Prowse (28) and Callum Wilson (30) are bidding for places in Gareth Southgate’s England World Cup squad. Southampton’s Ward-Prowse has scored in two of his last three personal H2Hs against the Magpies, whilst Newcastle’s Wilson has scored three goals across his last three visits to St. Mary’s and seeks to extend his two-match scoring streak.
Hot stat: Newcastle have kept a first-half clean sheet in 11 of their 13 PL games this season.
