Southampton vs. Burnley: Saints search for opening day win against Clarets

Southampton begin their Premier League campaign on Sunday and welcome Sean Dyche’s Burnley to St Mary’s, with the match kicking off at 1.30pm.

The two sides have had contrasting build-ups to this clash, with Saints having a free week to prepare following their last pre-season game and Burnley having to make the long trek to Turkey for their Europa League match versus Istanbul Basaksehir.

2017/18 couldn’t have been more different for the sides either. The Clarets made sure of European football at Turf Moor with a seventh-placed finish, whilst Southampton narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship in 17th.

Dyche’s side would also have the upper hand in the two Premier League clashes with Saints last season. His team came away from the south coast with a 1-0 triumph last November before a late Manolo Gabbiadini strike rescued a precious point in the return fixture.

Southampton boss Mark Hughes has a fully fit squad to choose from for this clash after having all of his players involved in training together for the first time this week.

Cedric could return to the fold after coming back from an extended break, whilst deadline day signing Danny Ings could be given his first minutes in a Saints shirt against his former club.

Burnley could hand a start to Ben Gibson, who joined the Clarets from Middlesbrough this summer and was a reported target for Saints too.

Nick Pope is definitely out with a dislocated shoulder, but Tom Heaton could recover in time for this one and battle for a place between the sticks with Joe Hart.

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• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 1: Departures
• It’s time to talk about Gavin Bazunu
• Rain clouds on the horizon? Southampton beat Plymouth Argyle
• A lament for Southampton legend James Ward-Prowse

Why Southampton Will Win

A free week to fine-tune everything ahead of a long season could have been invaluable for Mark Hughes’ men, and this extra time will have only helped the new signings to adjust even more.

The 3-0 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend was worrying, but the competitive nature of the Premier League could see the Saints click into gear and show what they’re really about.

Why Burnley Will Win

After having to play their first competitive fixture back on July 26th, training will have started very early for Burnley and could mean that their players are more match fit than opponents Southampton.

Saints have always seemed to struggled against the direct tactics of Dyche’s team and striker Sam Vokes has had great success against them in recent years with his threat in the air.

Predicted Line-Ups

Southampton

Goalkeeper: Alex McCarthy

Defenders: Matt Targett, Jannik Vestergaard, Maya Yoshida, Jack Stephens, Ryan Bertrand

Midfielders: Oriol Romeu, Mario Lemina, Stuart Armstrong

Attackers: Mohamed Elyounoussi, Charlie Austin

Burnley

Goalkeeper: Joe Hart

Defenders: Matt Lowton, James Tarkowski, Ben Gibson, Stephen Ward

Midfielders: Aaron Lennon, Jack Cork, Ashley Westwood, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Jeff Hendrick

Attackers: Sam Vokes

Predicted Score:

Southampton 2-0 Burnley

Saints will be fired up and looking to put on a show at home, whilst Burnley’s tough and busy schedule will work against them.