Southampton vs. Brighton: Opposition threat

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MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 27: Glenn Murray of Brighton and Hove Albion is congratulated by team mates after scoring the winning goal during the The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Middlesbrough v Brighton and Hove Albion at Riverside Stadium on January 27, 2018 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) /

This evening St. Mary’s will play host to Brighton and Hove Albion, with both the Seagulls and Southampton desperately in need of three points.

Both teams were in much better positions when they two sides met earlier in the campaign, with a share of the spoils meaning the Saints were sat firmly in ninth.

Fast-forward a couple of months and Southampton find themselves in 19th, just two points off the foot of the table. Brighton meanwhile have slipped down to 16th and loss to the Saints tonight could see them slip into the bottom three.

Defeat tonight for the home side however would add to what has already been a fairly uninspiring deadline day, with a deal for Quincy Promes now seemingly dead in the water after Spartak Moscow have failed to find a suitable replacement.

The Saints’ board backed Mauricio Pellegrino at the start of the month and have signed since Guido Carrillo – very much the manager’s choice of forward – for a club-record £19.2 million. Many fans are tipping the Argentine to get more minutes tonight after a cameo appearance in the win over Watford.

But Brighton themselves have a strong roster of their own, so who should the Saints be wary off tonight?