Match Pack: Huddersfield vs Saints
Saints return to action after the final international break of 2023, as they travel to face Huddersfield Town on Saturday afternoon. Get set for the Sky Bet Championship clash with our Match Pack...
THE MATCH
Huddersfield Town vs Saints
Sky Bet Championship
John Smith's Stadium
Saturday 25th November, 3:00pm GMT
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: David Webb
Assistants: Rob Smith, Robert Hyde
Fourth official: Tom Nield
WHAT KIT WILL SAINTS BE WEARING?
For the first time in exactly a month, Saints will be back in their black and yellow third kit with grey shorts and black socks.
Saints last wore their third kit in October's dramatic draw against Preston.
HOW TO WATCH?
There will be no video coverage of Saturday's game on Saints Play to fans in the UK and Ireland because of the 3pm kick-off blackout, but it will be available to all international fans. The cost for a Video Pass for this game will be £10.
Alternatively, everyone, including those of you in the UK and Ireland, will be able to listen to audio coverage of the weekend’s action.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Saints maintained their impressive unbeaten run before the international break so head into Saturday's clash having not lost in eight matches.
Darren Moore's side have endured a tricky spell since his arrival, with just one win in his nine games at the helm. The Terriers will be looking to turn their fortunes around to increase their four point buffer above the relegation zone.
TEAM NEWS
Russell Martin confirmed that Saints captain Jack Stephens has returned to full first-team training after three months of rehabilitation.
Whilst it's unlikely that Stephens will be thrust straight back into the side this weekend, he is hoping to make a return sooner rather than later.
Elsewhere, there were no fresh injury concerns during the international break as Ross Stewart's continued progress since his Saints debut remains a positive sign.
For Huddersfield, recent injury-hit players Danny Ward and David Kasumu were involved in behind-closed-doors friendlies and have returned to full training so both stand a chance of returning to Darren Moore's side
Jack Rudoni is another injured player making progress, but he is unlikely to be back in contention for Saturday's game.
THE MANAGERS
Russell Martin: “I think we're in a fairly good place, a better place than we maybe thought we'd be [after the international break] so everyone's come back relatively fit and the guys that have been here are closer to fitness than they were two weeks ago.
"They've had a couple of weeks to really work so they'll be tough to play against at their home. We need to turn the game into what we want it to be regardless of how their set-up is."
Darren Moore: "It's a big challenge, we know where Southampton were playing their football this time last season and they've kept elements of that squad.
"People are starting to talk about Southampton and the good work Russell is doing there, the three teams that came down are starting to get to grips with the Championship because the depth and volume of the quality in their squads."
TOP SCORERS
Southampton
Goals:
Adam Armstrong 9
Adams, Smallbone 3
Edozie, Fraser, Alcaraz, S Armstrong 2
Assists:
A Armstrong, Kamaldeen 3
Walker-Peters, Adams, Manning 2
Bazunu, Edozie, Smallbone, Downes, Doyle 1
Huddersfield Town
Goals:
Helik 4
Rudoni 3
Harratt, Burgzorg 1
Assists:
Thomas 4
Rudoni, Harratt, Koroma, Jones, Austerfield, Jackson, Nakayama 1
ONES TO WATCH
Stuart Armstrong: Saints' Scotsman scored an impressive goal on international duty and registered an assist, so he will no doubt be looking to continue that form back in domestic action.
Armstrong started four of the previous five games before the international break as an important part of Russell Martin's system.
Sorba Thomas: Huddersfield's wide man has started 14 of the 16 games this season and is the most creative outlet in the Terriers' side with four assists.
His rapid rise from the National League straight to the Championship was well documented when he signed in 2021 from Boreham Wood, settling in seamlessly and becoming a Welsh international in the process.
Sorba Thomas in action for Huddersfield.
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 31
Saints: 13
Draws: 5
Huddersfield: 11
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
January 2020: Saints 2-0 Huddersfield (Smallbone, Vokins)
May 2019: Saints 1-1 Huddersfield (Redmond)
December 2018: Huddersfield 1-3 Saints (Redmond, Ings, Obafemi)
December 2017: Saints 1-1 Huddersfield (Austin)
August 2017: Huddersfield 0-0 Saints
DID YOU KNOW?
Russell Martin's side have won their last three league games in a row for the first time since October and November in 2020/21 season.
The last time Saints won four games on the spin was at the end of the 2015/16 season, when they finished the campaign with consecutive wins against Aston Villa, Manchester City, Tottenham, and Crystal Palace.
KEEP UP TO DATE
Not joining us at St Mary’s? We’ve got you covered! We’ll bring you all the behind-the-scenes content alongside the in-game action as Saints travel to Huddersfield.
Check out our interactive match centre at southamptonfc.com, with live streaming of the game, key updates and audio commentary of the match, and be sure to download the official Saints app and follow us on social media for further updates and exclusive content:
