Match Pack: Preston vs Saints
Southampton are on the road for the second time in a week as they face Preston North End in the Sky Bet Championship. Get set for gameday with our Match Pack…
THE MATCH
Preston North End vs Southampton
Sky Bet Championship
Deepdale
Saturday 7th November, 3pm GMT
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Tom Nield
Assistant Referees: Hugh Gilroy, Jonathan Block
Fourth Official: David Webb
THE KITS
Saints will be back in their red and white home colours whilst at Deepdale, with the hosts playing in their traditional white shirts with navy shorts.
LIVE COVERAGE
For supporters in unsold markets outside of the UK, you can watch the game live on Saints Play.
For those in the UK, due to the 3pm kick-off, thee's no live coverage but a recurring Monthly Audio Pass is also available for all supporters for just £5. This auto-renews every month until cancelled and it gives you the option to listen to every home, away and cup match live.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Saints earned a hard-fought point away to play-off challengers West Brom on Tuesday night, as Sam Edozie's second-half goal secured a 1-1 draw and made it six games unbeaten.
Tonda Eckert's side will be looking to end this block of fixtures on a high before the final international break of 2026, as they haven't suffered defeat since before the previous pause in games back in September.
Preston's fortunes are quite the opposite, as the hosts sit bottom of the table with just one win and two draws all season; their solitary victory was at home against Blackburn in the third game of the Championship campaign.
TEAM NEWS
Preston: MidfielderLéo Leroy is suspended after his booking against Sheffield United on Tuesday night, while forward Johnny Kenny is awaiting the results of a scan on a hamstring injury which forced him off against the Blades and could be sidelined for "a few weeks".
Preston have since confirmed the signing of free agent Greg Docherty on a short-term deal, who could be in contention to make his debut on Saturday.
Saints: Tonda Eckert hopes to have Leo Scienza back available for the weekend after the Brazilian missed the trip to West Brom as a precaution. Cyle Larin and Caspar Jander also missed the trip to The Hawthorns, and will need to be assessed ahead of Saints’ visit to Deepdale.
THE MANAGERS
Graham Alexander: "Looking at the table, whether the gap is three or eight points, the end result of that diagnosis is we have to win football matches. We are striving and attempting to try and win games, so everyone feels good going into this break, or just for Saturday night.”
Tonda Eckert: "I think they’ve actually played quite a few games where they deserved a lot more. They’ve been a good team, it doesn’t really show in the results, obviously that’s clear, but I think there is a lot in the team.
“It’s a difficult place to go to. We need to prepare well, recover, make sure that we have a good session on Friday and empty the tank on Saturday as the last game before we go into the break."
ONES TO WATCH
Callum Lang: Preston's top goalscorer has struck four times this season, and was on target on Tuesday night in his side's narrow defeat against Sheffield United. Initially rested on the bench, an injury to Johnny Kenny meant Lang was introduced earlier than planned in the first half, but was able to find the net in the second half with a first time finish after a flowing team move. The former Portsmouth striker may want to make a mark against his former south coast rivals as well, to appease his former employers.
Sam Edozie: With a long-awaited goal in midweek, Sam Edozie's hard work behind the scenes to remain in Tonda Eckert's plans paid off. Saints' Head Coach admitted the busy end to 2026 will require a full squad effort and, whether called on from the start or the bench, Edozie has proved he can add a threat.
"He’s been working very hard – especially over the last weeks." Eckert said on Edozie, “I think a little bit more than two years since he scored his last goal for the club, and I think that’s only going to give him another boost.”
TOP PERFORMERS
Preston
Goals:
Lang 4
Kenny, Erabi 2
Five players 1
Assists:
Vukčević, Burgzorg 2
Devine, Thompson, Leroy, Mills 1
Saints
Goals:
Larin 8
Matsuki 4
Azaz, Scienza 3
Assists:
Azaz 7
Manning 4
Downes, Scienza 2
FORM GUIDE
Preston
Sheffield United (h) SBC: L 2-3 (Leroy, Lang)
Stoke (a) SBC: L 0-2
West Brom (h) SBC: D 1-1 (Hughes)
Wrexham (a) SBC: L 1-4 (Devine)
Birmingham (a) SBC: L 0-4
Saints
West Brom (a) SBC: D 1-1 (Edozie)
QPR (h) SBC: W 4-1 (Matsuki, Bragg, Schlotterbeck, Welington)
West Ham (a) SBC: W 3-2 (Matsuki, Bree, Dobbin)
Bolton (h) SBC: D 0-0
Norwich (a) SBC: W 1-0 (Matsuki)
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 46
Preston wins: 15
Draws: 14
Saints wins: 17
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
May 2026: Preston 1-3 Saints Championship (Harwood-Bellis, Stewart, Larin)
Nov 2025: Saints 0-2 Preston Championship
Apr 2024: Saints 3-0 Preston Championship (Adams 2, Armstrong)
Oct 2023: Preston 2-2 Saints Championship (Walker-Peters, Evans OG)
Sep 2011: Saints 2-1 Preston League Cup (Hooiveld, Lallana)
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