Match Pack: Saints vs Leicester
The Premier League returns this weekend, with Leicester visiting St Mary's on Saturday. Get clued up ahead of the clash with our Match Pack...
THE MATCH
Saints vs Leicester City
Premier League
St Mary’s Stadium
Saturday 19th October, 3pm BST
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn
Fourth official: Simon Hooper
VAR: Alex Chilowicz
Assistant VAR: Simon Bennett
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Despite defeat at Arsenal a fortnight ago, Saints came away from the capital encouraged by large parts of their performance against the title contenders.
With a sold-out St Mary's awaiting, Russell Martin's side will want to exact revenge on a Leicester side who beat them both home and away last season.
TEAM NEWS
Despite losing Ross Stewart to a calf injury picked up at Arsenal last time out, Saints will be boosted by the returns of Will Smallbone and Kamaldeen Sulemana this weekend.
The only other absentee is captain Jack Stephens, who remains suspended.
THE MANAGERS
Russell Martin: "They’re a well coached team, but honestly the focus has been on us. Our job is to be aware of them and aware of their threats. We’re on the back of a performance people feel good about, albeit without the result. Every game is huge, everyone knows that. We have to play the game we want to play and do the best we can."
Steve Cooper: "It’s Southampton and it’s a game we’ll be ready for. Whoever it is, it’s a chance for us to get back-to-back wins, create positivity – and we have to believe in what we’re doing."
TOP SCORERS
Southampton
Goals:
Cameron Archer 3
Taylor Harwood-Bellis 2
Dibling, Fernandes, Sugawara, Bree, Amo-Ameyaw 1
Assists:
Taylor, Dibling, Fernandes, Lallana 2
Leicester
Goals:
Stephy Mavididi 3
Justin, Buonanotte, Vardy 2
Faes, Ayew, Winks, Ndidi 1
Assists:
Wilfred Ndidi 4
Facundo Buonanotte 2
Justin, Fatawu, Ayew, Winks, Choudhury 1
ONES TO WATCH
Cameron Archer: Saints' top scorer this season, Archer netted off the bench last time out at Arsenal to register his first league goal for the club.
While there's been a fortnight's break, the striker will want to start building momentum and grab his first goal at St Mary's.
Facundo Buonanotte: The Brighton loanee has thrived in recent weeks, scoring the winner for the Foxes last time out against Bournemouth.
A direct runner with the ball, the visitors will look to Buonanotte to be one of their attacking outlets at St Mary's with his pace and trickery a threat in the final third.
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 100
Saints: 36
Draws: 30
Ipswich: 34
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
April 2024: Leicester 5-0 Saints
September 2023: Saints 1-4 Leicester (Edozie)
March 2023: Saints 1-0 Leicester (Alcaraz)
August 2022: Leicester 1-2 Saints (Adams 2)
May 2022: Leicester 4-1 Saints (Ward-Prowse)
DID YOU KNOW?
Saints are averaging 16.6 sequences of 10+ passes in open play per game in the Premier League this season; it’s the third highest average overall this term, and by far Saints’ highest on record (since 2014-15) in a single campaign (previously 10.1 in 2020-21).
KEEP UP TO DATE
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