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Southampton Clash With Hapless Hull as International Break Looms

By Aaron Preston

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: Steven Davis of Southampton shoots past the challenge of Sone Aluko of Hull City during the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Hull City at St Mary's Stadium on April 11, 2015 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: Steven Davis of Southampton shoots past the challenge of Sone Aluko of Hull City during the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Hull City at St Mary's Stadium on April 11, 2015 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images) /
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Southampton will look to stay top-half of the Premier League table with 3 points over struggling Hull City at the KCOM Stadium tomorrow.

With the first half of match-day 11 finished, Southampton sit on 13 points in the Premier League. That’s good enough for 10th, but if the Saints want to stay top-half, they’ll need to take all three points off a team languishing in the relegation zone and improve on last week’s Premier League performance. Last time out, the Saints lost 2-0 to Chelsea, but redeemed themselves in midweek with a stunning 2-1 victory over Inter Milan in Europa League play.

For Hull, redemption is also the order of the day as the Tigers look to avoid a dismal seventh-straight League loss. Last week’s came in especially heartbreaking fashion, as they conceded a late own-goal to fall 1-0 to Watford. The Tigers are without a win in the Premier League since 20 August, when they defeated fellow relegation-candidate Swansea City 2-0 away. Three points tomorrow could bring them level with 17th placed West Brom, though still in relegation trouble on goal-difference.

Southampton last played Hull City in April 2015, winning 2-0 and sealing the Tigers’ relegation to the Championship at the end of the 2014-15 season. The overall head-to-head record strongly favours the Saints, who have 24 wins in the series to Hull City’s 14, with 20 draws. Hull were last victorious in 2008, defeating the Saints 5-0 when both sides were in the Championship; they have never beaten Southampton in a top-flight match, being outscored 8-1 in four such meetings.

Saints enter the clash with no additional injury concerns, but defenders Cédric and Matt Targett remain out, as does forward Shane Long. Mike Phelan’s side will likely be without its leading scorer Robert Snodgrass, as well as centre-forward Dieumerci Mbokani, while forward Adama Diomande is unavailable due to a ban.

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Hull City manager Mike Phelan, who took over on an interim basis at the start of the season before being given the reins in full, seemed to have no illusions about his side’s task tomorrow afternoon.

“They [Southampton] have a squad comparable to any top team in the Premier League,” Phelan said in pregame remarks. “We will have to be at our best to be competitive.”

Southampton leading scorer Charlie Austin, meanwhile, told club media that the side must not be fooled into complacency by the opposition’s six-game slide in League action.

Next: Preview: Hull City vs Southampton

“We know it’s going to be a tough task,” Austin told club media, saying that Hull would be looking to “try to put an end to that as soon as they can.”

“With the quality we’ve got, hopefully we can come away with three points.”