Match Pack: Saints vs Hull
Southampton return to St Mary’s for the first of back-to-back home games, as Hull City make the long journey to the south coast. Get set for matchday with our Match Pack…
THE MATCH
Southampton vs Hull City
Sky Bet Championship
St Mary’s Stadium
Saturday 17th January, 3pm GMT
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Samuel Allison
Assistants: Andrew Fox, Nigel Lugg
Fourth official: Richie Watkins
THE KITS
Saints will be in their traditional home colours, with the Tigers in their away strip of black shirts, amber shorts and black socks.
TICKETS
This Category B fixture is on general sale, with prices starting from £30 for Adults and £20 for Juniors.
LIVE COVERAGE
For those unable to make it to St Mary's, Saints Play match passes are available to supporters outside the UK.
THE PROGRAMME
The matchday programme is available to order online, as well as from the various sellers around St Mary’s.
This special edition covers not only Saturday’s meeting with Hull, but also Wednesday’s home clash with Sheffield United, and will be sold at the stadium on both matchdays.
The double issue contains a feature interview with new Saints stopper Daniel Peretz, as well as Tonda Eckert’s latest notes, coverage of both visiting teams and a tribute to former Saint Martin Chivers, who recently passed away at the age of 80.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Both teams return to league action for the first time in a fortnight following last weekend’s Emirates FA Cup third round weekend.
Saints’ 3-2 victory at Doncaster ended a six-game winless run, with Tonda Eckert’s side now heading back to St Mary’s where they remain unbeaten in the head coach’s six home matches in charge to date.
Hull, who squeezed past Blackburn on penalties after a goalless draw in the cup, have not played in the league since New Year’s Day, with their scheduled home fixture against Watford on Sunday 4th January postponed at late notice.
The Tigers enjoyed a fruitful end to 2026, winning four of their last five games in the calendar year, but did come unstuck at home to Stoke last time out in the Championship, leaving them just outside the play-off places on goal difference.
TEAM NEWS
Saints: Cameron Bragg will miss the game due to the concussion that forced him off during the FA Cup win at Doncaster last time out.
Shea Charles and Mads Roerslev are both back in training, but are unlikely to be risked before the midweek game against Sheffield Untied at the earliest.
Hull: The visitors are waiting on the fitness of midfielders Matt Crooks and John Lundstram. Lundstram has not played since November, while Crooks pulled out of the Blackburn cup tie in the warm-up last weekend.
Darko Gyabi (groin) and Cody Drameh (quad) are new additions to a growing injury list that already includes Brandon Williams, Eliot Matazo and 10-goal joint top scorer Joe Gelhardt.
THE MANAGERS
Tonda Eckert: “I think they (Hull) have been very efficient in the way they have played. They are always a threat on counter-attacks. It’s a team that doesn’t cross a lot, but when they do cross they are always dangerous. Those will be the challenges. On the other side, I think we have some opportunities to hurt them.
“The nice thing is there are many home games coming up, and I think that helps us massively. We’ve had excellent support for all of the games I’ve had at St Mary’s, taking many points, and we plan to continue doing so.”
Sergej Jakirović: "All the time they (Saints) are playing good on the pitch. They are really, really good, but results don't follow performances on the pitch. This was also in Will Still's team when he was in charge, and now.
“If you didn't watch the game, Middlesbrough killed them 4-0. But when you watched the game, it could have been the opposite. It was unbelievable. Right now, I have worries about my team, not Southampton. It's never been this many players [out injured], especially in some positions; we don't have solutions.”
ONES TO WATCH
Daniel Peretz: After Gavin Bazunu’s departure on loan to Stoke, January signing Peretz looks set to be Saints’ first-choice stopper ahead of his potential home debut on Saturday.
The Bayern Munich loanee made his first appearance in English football at Doncaster last weekend, making a fine diving save to deny a 25-yard free-kick before a crucial double stop preserved Saints’ lead in the second half.
Oli McBurnie: Former Sheffield United striker McBurnie has been a revelation since arriving on Humberside from Las Palmas, scoring 10 goals in 18 games this season.
Saints struggled to cope with the Scotland international’s physicality in a chastening 3-1 defeat at the MKM Stadium back in September, and will need a plan to contain him this time around.
TOP SCORERS
Saints
Goals:
Armstrong 11
Azaz 7
Manning, Harwood-Bellis, Archer 4
Assists:
Armstrong, Azaz, Fellows 4
Manning, Scienza 3
Harwood-Bellis, Fraser 2
Hull
Goals:
Gelhardt, McBurnie 10
Joseph 6
Crooks 3
Assists:
Giles 8
Coyle 4
Crooks, McBurnie, Belloumi, Gelhardt 3
FORM GUIDE
Saints
Doncaster (a) FAC3: W 3-2 (Bragg, Archer, Matsuki)
Middlesbrough (a) SBC: L 0-4
Millwall (h) SBC: D 0-0
Birmingham (a) SBC: D 1-1 (Archer)
Oxford (a) SBC: L 1-2 (Harwood-Bellis)
Hull
Blackburn (h) FAC3: D 0-0 (Hull won 4-3 on pens)
Stoke (h) SBC: L 0-1
Middlesbrough (a) SBC: W 1-0 (Gyabi)
Sheff Wed (a) SBC: D 2-2 (Belloumi, Crooks)
West Brom (h) SBC: W 1-0 (McBurnie pen)
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 62
Saints wins: 24
Draws: 21
Hull wins: 17
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Sep 2025: Hull 3-1 Saints Championship (Armstrong)
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)
KEEP UP TO DATE
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