Coming off of an unfortunate 0-0 draw at Stoke on Wednesday, Southampton are set to face regional rivals Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium this weekend.
Stoke’s Marko Arnautovic got sent off in the first half against the Saints, but Southampton were still unable to find the back of the net despite the advantage. Sofiane Boufal looked strong going forward again while the Saints continued to play without an injured Charlie Austin, who is set to be out for three to four months.
Bournemouth defeated champions Leicester City 1-0 during the midweek fixture. Marc Pugh found the back of the net for the Cherries in the 34th minute to score his first of the campaign. The Cherries have won three out of their last five matches and are tied on points with Southampton.
With Austin injured and Shane Long out of form, I am nervous that Southampton will struggle to score again. While the Saints’ defense may be stellar again (although midfielder Oriol Romeu is suspended), I am still hoping that Southampton will be able to get at least a point from this match, although I am not so confident.
In the league last year, Southampton and Bournemouth split the fixtures with the Cherries winning 2-0 in March and the Saints winning 2-0 in November at St. Mary’s.
2️⃣4️⃣ hours to go!
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) December 17, 2016
Take a look at our in-depth match preview as #SaintsFC prepare to take on #AFCB in the #PL: https://t.co/bGfPjD4RB3
Saints boss Puel is looking forward to this match against rivals Bournemouth.
"“It’s important to give a good answer on the pitch. It’s a little stadium and it’s always difficult to play against this team,” Puel said. “They’re a good team with technical players and a good philosophy. It’s the same philosophy here so it will be interesting.”"
Lassner’s Pick: Bournemouth 2-1 Southampton
Match Info:
Date: Sunday, December 18
Kick Off: 8:30 a.m. ET
Location: Bournemouth, England
Stadium: Vitality Stadium
TV Info: NBC Sports Network
Live Stream: NBC Sports