Southampton are set to kick off against David Moyes’ Sunderland this Saturday at St. Mary’s Stadium on Premier League match day three.
The Saints lost 2-0 last week away to an impressive looking Manchester United. Zlatan Ibrahimović found the back of the net twice; the first was from open play and the second from the spot. Southampton played with good organization overall but looked weak going forward.
Moyes’ men lost 2-1 at home to newly promoted Middlesbrough. Sunderland were booed when leaving the pitch after the first half but pulled one back per a Patrick van Aanholt goal in the 71st minute. There is still speculation at the Stadium of Light whether or not Moyes is the right man to be in charge.
This upcoming match should be less of a challenge for Saints. With Sunderland seeming a bit unstable, this match could be a confidence booster for the Saints forwards who were quiet last week, if they are able to find the back of the net. The key match up this week will be Shane Long v. Sunderland center-back Paddy McNair.
As all Southampton supporters know, Long is a sneaky and quick forward who on his day, can wreak havoc on any defense. Having not scored for Southampton in the first two games of the season, Long would be wanting to find the back of the net against a shaky Sunderland side.
While the 21 year-old Northern Irishman McNair has had multiple appearances for Manchester United these past few seasons, he will have a real tough time going against Long and Nathan Redmond. Even at his young age, Moyes will be counting on McNair to lead the back line. If McNair is off the pace at the start of this match, Saints fans will hope to see a handful of goals.
Last season, Southampton drew Sunderland at home in March but had won 1-0 away in early November courtesy to a Dušan Tadić penalty.
Saints boss Claude Puel hopes to see his side score against the Black Cats so that the team can go into the international break on a high note.
"“There were many good situations in the two games, but now it’s important to find the efficiency and to score to give confidence for all the players… I know that we have made good progress this week, but after all of this it’s now important to show this on the pitch and to continue,” Puel said."
Next: Southampton Legend Weighs In On Sunderland Showdown
Match Info:
Date: Saturday, August 27
Kick Off: 10:00 a.m. ET
Location: Southampton, England
Stadium: St. Mary’s Stadium
TV Info: NBC Sports Extra Time 4 HD
Live Stream: NBC Sports