Match Pack: Saints vs Bristol City
Still unbeaten, Saints return to St Mary's on Tuesday night looking for an eighth league win in a row. Bristol City are the visitors and below is your in-depth preview...
THE MATCH
Southampton vs Bristol City
Sky Bet Championship
St Mary's Stadium
Tuesday 21st April, 7.45pm BST
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Elliot Bell
Assistant Referees: Andrew Fox and Daniel Leach
Fourth Official: Sam Allison
THE KITS
Saints will be in their traditional red and white stripes under the lights, with black shorts and white socks. The visitors will be in their predominantly black third strip, with fluorescent blue and purple detailing.
TICKETS
Tickets remain available for the Category B fixture. Be in that number:
LIVE COVERAGE
Saints Play match passes are available to supporters outside of the UK.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Three points at Swansea on Saturday secured a seventh straight league win for the first time since 1908, taking the unbeaten run to 19 games in all competitions.
Staying fourth in the table but now just a point behind second-placed Ipswich and Millwall in third, another win could see Saints move into the automatic spots if the Lions falter at Stoke and with the Tractor Boys not in action until Wednesday night.
With Tonda Eckert's side in the thick of the promotion race, Bristol City head to the south coast with their season already over mathematically - unable to make the play-offs and well clear of the drop zone, their final three fixtures are already with one eye on next season's Championship campaign, with Roy Hodgson overseeing their run-in on an interim basis.
TEAM NEWS
Saints: With no known injury concerns following Saturday's trip to Wales, Tonda Eckert will have everyone bar Mads Roerslev available for selection, with Finn Azaz back in the fold after missing last week's win over Blackburn.
Making six changes at the weekend, Saints' boss could freshen things up again ahead of Saturday's trip to Wembley to take on Manchester City in the Emirates FA Cup semi-finals.
Bristol City: There's no such injury luck for the visitors, who are without a host of regulars for the trip to St Mary's.
Midfielder Max Bird picked up a hamstring injury 10 days ago that rules him out, joining Rob Atkinson, Luke McNally and Joe Williams on the sidelines.
Right-back Ross McCrorie made a return to the starting XI last time out with George Tanner an option after returning to the bench on Saturday after a four-game absence through injury.
THE MANAGERS
Tonda Eckert: "I expect this to be a very tough game and I'm very much hoping we get the stadium as full as possible. We'll do everything on the pitch to transmit that energy and we are very much hoping for big, big support from the stands."
Roy Hodgson: "I didn't come here because I thought it’d be easy. I came here because I was persuaded to think I could make a difference with my experience at the club, at a time when they’re planning major changes going forward and nothing has changed that for me.
"I still hope I can do and I shall still keep trying very hard in the training sessions to bring to the team any experience or knowledge or quality that I have."
ONES TO WATCH
Cameron Archer: Handed a start against Blackburn last Tuesday, the attacker grabbed a goal and an assist in a Player of the Match display.
Archer backed up his display against Rovers with a dramatic 90th-minute winner at Swansea on Saturday, heading back to St Mary's looking to make it three in three.
Jason Knight: The Robins' skipper, Knight was able to move back into midfield against Norwich at the weekend having filled in at right-back in recent weeks.
The Republic of Ireland international hasn't missed a minute in the last 11 games and will be an important cog in the middle of the park if Roy Hodgson's side are to leave Hampshire with anything.
TOP SCORERS
Saints
Goals:
Azaz 11
Stewart 8
Manning, Scienza 7
Assists:
Scienza 10
Azaz 8
Fellows 7
Bristol City
Goals:
Riis 12
Twine 11
Armstrong, Sykes, Atkinson 4
Assists:
Twine 9
McCrorie 6
Borges 5
FORM GUIDE
Saints
Swansea (a) SBC: W 2-1 (Charles, Archer)
Blackburn (h) SBC: W 3-0 (Larin, Manning, Archer)
Derby (h) SBC: W 2-1 (Scienza, Harwood-Bellis)
Wrexham (a) SBC: W 5-1 (Matsuki, Downes, Larin, Stewart, Azaz)
Arsenal (h) FAC: W 2-1 (Stewart, Charles)
Bristol City
Norwich (h) SBC: L 2-4 (Morsy, Bell)
QPR (a) SBC: D 0-0
Sheffield Untied (h) SBC: W 1-0 (Sykes)
Charlton (a) SBC: W 2-1 (Twine, Eile)
West Brom (h) SBC: L 0-1
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 51
Bristol City wins: 18
Draws: 7
Saints wins: 26
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
October 2025: Bristol City 3-1 Saints Championship (A Armstrong)
February 2024: Bristol City 3-1 Saints Championship (A Armstrong)
November 2023: Saints 1-0 Bristol City Championship (Walker-Peters)
September 2013: Saints 2-0 Bristol City League Cup (Ramirez, Hooiveld)
December 2011: Saints 0-1 Bristol City Championship
KEEP UP TO DATE
Not with us at St Mary's? Download the official Saints app to follow live in-match updates and follow us on social media for further updates and exclusive content:
