Friday night football returns to St Mary’s as Southampton host Aston Villa in the Premier League.
THE MATCH
Saints vs Aston Villa
Premier League
St Mary’s Stadium
Friday 5th November, 8pm GMT
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Andy Madley
Assistants: Darren Cann, Derek Eaton
Fourth official: Michael Salisbury
VAR: Stuart Attwell
Assistant VAR: Timothy Wood
WHICH KIT WILL SAINTS BE WEARING?
Saints will be wearing their red and black home kit on Friday.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Three points would provide a huge boost for either side as we head into the international break.
Saints and Villa sit side-by-side in the current Premier League standings, with Saints just one point ahead.
Ralph Hasenhüttl’s men claimed their first away victory of the season last weekend at Watford and will be looking to build on their points tally.
Dean Smith’s side haven’t won in the league since their 1-0 victory over Manchester United in September.
TEAM NEWS
Hasenhüttl receives a huge boost as Armando Broja is available for selction on Friday, while Moussa Djenepo also returns.
Jack Stephens remains sidelined.
Ex-Saint Danny Ings, Bertrand Traoré and Douglas Luiz are out for the visitors, while Erzi Konsa serves his suspension.
Dean Smith is boosted by the return of Morgan Sanson and Jaden Philogene-Bidace to training.
THE MANAGERS
Ralph Hasenhüttl: "It's important that we know that games against teams that are struggling a little are even more difficult because they need only a few positive moments to get in a good rhythm.”
Dean Smith: “There is no panic, we’re in control and determined to put things right. There has been a reaction from all the players because they are disappointed with the results.”
ONES TO WATCH
James Ward-Prowse: The captain has a notoriously strong record against Villa, playing a part in five goals in the last five meetings between the two sides.
John McGinn: The Scot has continued to impress in an otherwise turbulent season for Villa so far. The midfielder ranks highly in the current squad, topping the table for final-third passes as well as crosses completed.
Southampton:
Goals:
Elyounoussi, Broja 4
Ward-Prowse, Adams 2
Assists:
Nathan Redmond 3
Elyounoussi, Ward-Prowse 2
Aston Villa:
Goals:
Cameron Archer 4
El Ghazi, Ings 3
McGinn, Watkins 2
Assists:
El Ghazi, Ings, Bailey, Luiz 2
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 80
Saints: 28
Draws: 23
Aston Villa: 29
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
January 2021: Saints 0-1 Aston Villa
November 2020: Aston Villa 3-4 Saints (Vestergaard, Ward-Prowse, Ings)
February 2020: Saints 2-0 Aston Villa (Long, Armstrong)
December 2019: Aston Villa 1-3 Saints (Ings, Stephens)
April 2016: Aston Villa 2-4 Saints (Long, Tadić, Mané)
DID YOU KNOW?
- Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse has been involved in more Premier League goals against Aston Villa than he has vs any other side in the competition (5 – 2 goals, 3 assists).
- Southampton have taken seven points from their last three Premier League matches (W2 D1), as many as in their previous 10 games combined (W1 D4 L5).
- Southampton have lost just one of their last nine Premier League meetings with Aston Villa (W5 D3), though it was in this exact fixture in their last such meeting in January (0-1).
KEEP UP TO DATE
Can't make the game? We’ve got you covered! We’ll bring you all of the action from St Mary’s, as well as a host of behind-the-scenes access.
Check out our interactive match centre at southamptonfc.com, with all of the live in-game updates and free audio commentary of the match, and be sure to follow us on social media for further updates and exclusive content:
- Instagram
- Twitter
- Facebook
Share this: