Match Pack: Hull vs Saints
Get game-ready for Southampton's trip to Hull in the Sky Bet Championship with our detailed Match Pack…
THE MATCH
Hull City vs Southampton
Sky Bet Championship
MKM Stadium
Saturday 20th September, 3pm BST
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Anthony Backhouse
Assistants: Paul Hodskinson, Mark Russell
Fourth official: Dean Whitestone
THE KITS
Saints will wear their red and white home shirts paired with white shorts and white socks at the MKM Stadium, where the hosts will play in their traditional amber and black shirts, black shorts and amber socks.
TICKETS
Away tickets have sold out for this one, with Saints fans snapping up the club's full allocation of 2,336 tickets.
LIVE COVERAGE
For those without a ticket, Saints Play match passes are available to supporters outside the UK.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Both teams could do with a win. Saints have not tasted victory in the league since the opening day, while Hull’s only win was also a last-gasp affair, a 3-2 success over Oxford in their second game.
It’s one win in six for the hosts in all competitions, conceding 14 goals in that time, whereas Saints have enjoyed Carabao Cup victories at Northampton and Norwich, both with clean sheets, and earned a first league shutout against Portsmouth last time out.
Saints sit three points off the play-off places, one point better off than Hull in the early season table.
TEAM NEWS
Flynn Downes is a doubt for the game, having been struggling with illness this week, while Cameron Archer has had a sore hamstring.
Welington is definitely out, but is making progress in his recovery from the ankle injury that forced him off in the home game against Stoke four weeks ago.
Hull will run the rule over Liam Millar, who has been sidelined since last October with an ACL injury, before deciding whether or not to include the Canadian winger in the squad.
The Tigers will be able to call upon Brandon Williams, who has recovered from concussion, but Semi Ajayi (hamstring) and Matt Crooks (ankle) are not yet fit enough to feature.
THE MANAGERS
Will Still: “Our levels of commitment and bravery, especially in possession, need to be a bit higher. It was a frustrating derby [against Portsmouth] and we know that we didn’t hit the levels that we had to hit – we’re well aware of that, but we just need to keep growing, keep moving forward and keep working.
“I hope it’s a better game than last week! I’m hoping it’ll be an open game. It’s about getting that balance right, but hopefully they (Hull) have a right go, we deal with their danger and are able to play the way we want to play as well, because I think everyone enjoys watching football when it’s played like that.”
Dean Holden (Hull’s assistant head coach): “I think we've added some real good quality to the squad. It's probably been a slow start in terms of results and there’s lots to improve on.
“Going into the Swansea game (Hull’s last match, a 2-2 draw), we saw some shoots of what we've been working on, which was making ourselves really difficult to beat. You've got to do that against any team, particularly against Southampton, who've got real firepower in the forward line.”
ONES TO WATCH
Finn Azaz: Saints’ new No 10 averages a goal or assist every two games in his Championship career, suggesting his first big contribution in a Saints shirt should not be far away.
The attacking midfielder is unbeaten in four previous meetings with Hull, scoring twice against them in his Middlesbrough days.
Oli McBurnie: The Scotland international striker has been a revelation since returning to English football from Spanish side Las Palmas in the summer, registering three goals and three assists already this season.
At 6ft 2in tall, McBurnie is a physical presence who’s not afraid to unsettle opposition defenders. His aggressive approach from the front can set the tone for his teammates to follow suit.
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 61
Hull wins: 16
Draws: 21
Saints wins: 24
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Feb 2024: Saints 1-2 Hull Championship (Aribo)
Oct 2023: Hull 1-2 Saints Championship (Smallbone, Fraser)
Apr 2017: Saints 0-0 Hull Premier League
Nov 2016: Hull 2-1 Saints Premier League (Austin pen)
Apr 2015: Saints 2-0 Hull Premier League (Ward-Prowse pen, Pellè)
KEEP UP TO DATE
Not able to make it to the game? Download the official Saints app to follow live in-match updates and follow us on social media for further updates and exclusive content:
- Instagram
- Twitter
- Facebook
Memberships are available now at just £30 for Adults and £20 for Juniors. Get early ticket access, discounts across the club and more!
