Match Pack: Brentford vs Saints

Brentford vs Saints

Premier League

Gtech Community Stadium

Saturday 4th February, 3pm GMT

Referee: Darren Bond

Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Matthew Wilkes

Fourth official: Michael Salisbury

VAR: Mike Dean

Assistant VAR: James Mainwaring

For a second match in a row, Saints will be in their blue away kit.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

After successive cup games in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, Saints will turn their attention back to league matters.

A fortnight on from the home defeat to Aston Villa, Nathan Jones’s side will head to the capital knowing victory could lift them out of the bottom three depending on results elsewhere.

With a month of uninterrupted Premier League action to come, Saints will want to set the tone and build some early momentum in their bid for survival, but the Bees will prove to be tricky opposition.

Unbeaten in eight league games – only going on a longer top-flight unbeaten run once before – Brentford could move as high as sixth with a win.

TEAM NEWS

Exciting deadline day acquisitions Kamaldeen Sulemana and Paul Onuachu may have to wait for their debuts, with the duo still waiting to receive work permits.

Kyle Walker-Peters, who was substituted in the first half at Newcastle as a precaution, will have his hamstring assessed before any decision is made. 

Definitely ruled out will be Tino Livramento, Stu Armstrong and Juan Larios, with Moussa Djenepo, Mislav Oršić, Armel Bella-Kotchap and Duje Ćaleta-Car gaining minutes with the B team on Friday afternoon.

To follow.

"We know now what we’ve got to do. We’ve got a month now of pure league action before the cup, but the priority is the league and we've got to make sure now we start getting points and get above that line."

There’s no underplaying Toney’s importance to Thomas Frank’s side, with the striker top of both the scoring and assisting charts for the Bees.

With five goals in his last five league outings, Saints will have to marshal Toney effectively if they’re to leave with any points.

Managing the midfielder’s minutes since his return from injury last month, Lavia could be poised to play a key role in London having only played 45 minutes in midweek.

Sitting in the number six role, the 19-year-old dictates play for Saints, while allowing the likes of James Ward-Prowse to venture further forward, as he did with success at Everton.

TOP SCORERS

Brentford:

Goals:
Ivan Toney 14
Wissa, Mbeumo 4
Josh Dasilva 3

Assists:
Toney, Jensen 4
Josh Dasilva 2
10 players 1

Southampton:

Goals:
Ché Adams 9
James Ward-Prowse 7
Romain Perraud 4

Assists:
Adams, Ward-Prowse, Perraud, Mara, Elyounoussi 2
7 players 1

HEAD TO HEAD

Played: 69
Brentford: 22
Draws: 13
Saints: 34

May 2022: Brentford 3-0 Saints

January 2022: Saints 4-1 Brentford (Bednarek, Fernández OG, Broja, Adams)

September 2020: Saints 0-2 Brentford League Cup

April 2011: Brentford 0-3 Saints (Lallana, Connolly, Gobern)

December 2010: Saints 0-2 Brentford

- Saints have won two of their last three league games against Brentford (L1), as many as they had in their previous 13 against them between 1955 and 2010 (D6 L5).

- Saints have won a higher share of their Premier League points in away games than any other side this season (60% - 9/15). Indeed, three of Saints' four victories this season have come on the road, while they're looking to pick up back-to-back away league wins for the first time since June 2020.

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