Southampton will be hoping to kickstart their survival bid under Nathan Jones when they entertain seventh-placed Brighton at St Mary’s on Boxing Day.
Jones will hope to have improved his team’s fortunes during the mid-season break after his opening game ended in a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool before the World Cup, and the Saints did manage to beat Lincoln City in the EFL Cup in midweek.
In contrast, Brighton were stunned by Charlton Athletic on penalties in the same competition, and confidence could be an issue for the Seagulls ahead of Monday’s battle.
Southampton vs Brighton Betting Tips
Southampton are available at 12/5 to grab three crucial points in their battle to beat the drop, with the draw the same price, while Brighton’s superior league position has seen them installed as 23/20 favourites.
Team news
Southampton boss Jones will hope to have Theo Walcott available for selection, even though he had to be replaced against Lincoln due to a tight calf.
Right-back Kyle Walker-Peters was able to play an hour of that match, and he could feature again as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has been given a fortnight off after helping Argentina win the World Cup in Qatar.
Roberto De Zerbi has issues throughout the spine of his team, with centre-back Adam Webster unable to feature after picking up an injury against Aston Villa in a friendly this month.
Danny Welbeck also sustained a problem in the same match, and while the pair are set to miss Monday’s game, Brighton have described both injuries as “minor”.
Draw @ 12/5
Brighton deserve to be favourites for this clash, but their recent away form is a worry.
The Seagulls have only won one of their last five games on their travels, although that did come last time out against Wolves, having lost three and drawn one of their previous four.
Southampton are perhaps hard to make a concrete call on, though, with Jones only taking charge of his second Premier League match.
Jones’ side have only won one and drawn two of their last 10 games in the Premier League, but some sort of response under the new boss should be expected, which could be made easier by Brighton’s away-day blues.
The Saints have lost only one of their last 11 games against Brighton but six of those have been draws, including the last two, and that stalemate trend could well continue.
Both teams to score @ 8/11
Even though a close game is expected on the south coast, both teams have shown they are capable of finding the back of the net.
Southampton have only failed to score at home once this season and did score at Anfield in that first defeat under Jones.
Brighton scored three goals in their wins at Wolves and Arsenal, while they also bagged a treble in a 3-3 draw at Anfield and at least found a consolation in a 3-1 defeat at Manchester City
The Saints are also the only top-flight team without a home clean sheet, and the signs suggest there could be a scoring draw on Monday.
Both teams have found the back of the net in the last five meetings between the two, and correct scores of 1-1 or 2-2 should be considered for the shortlists.
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