Recently, Southampton faced a fourth Premier League defeat against Manchester United after conceding three goals despite an encouraging performance in the first half an hour in the match. Now they will turn their focus on Everton in the Carabao Cup third round match aiming to take a win and advance further to the next round. Southampton and Everton have both had very similar starts in the new season with both teams facing four consecutive league defeats and winning their respective Carabao Cup second round match.
The Saints are nineteenth in the league table above bottom placed Everton, who are the only two Premier League teams who have yet to take their first points of the season. While Southampton have been struggling in both attack and defence, Everton have massively improved their finishing in front of the goal in the recent matches. Before the international break, Everton were leading 2-0 against Bournemouth, however, Bournemouth scored two goals in the last minutes of the match to register a memorable 3-2 comeback win over Sean Dyche's side.
Southampton preparing to face Everton in the Carabao Cup
Also in the fourth Premier League matchday, Aston Villa completed a second half comeback against Everton in a 3-2 win that included a hat-trick from England international Ollie Watkins. Therefore, Everton are improving their attack and thus, the Saints will need a balanced performance in both attack as well as defence throughout the match. Manager Russell Martin recently revealed some lineup changes for the Everton match, suggesting some playing time for Ross Stewart as well as other key players from the last season.
Also, it's another great opportunity for promising forward Tyler Dibling, who was impressive in his first Premier League start against Manchester United. Meanwhile, Taylor Harwood-Bellis is expected to return in the starting lineup after Stephens red card to partner Jan Bednarek in the defence. Moreover, it remains to be seen whether Southampton improves their goal scoring in this match after missing some huge chances in recent games.