Southampton vs Everton predictions: Sorry Saints facing another defeat
- Southampton have failed to win any of their last 22 Premier League games
- Everton are unbeaten in their last six away matches against newly-promoted teams
- Recommended bet: Everton Draw No Bet
Southampton will be going in search of their first Premier League victory of the season when they welcome improving Everton to St Mary's on Saturday.
The Saints have picked up just a solitary point from their nine league matches since earning promotion back to the top-flight, but they did secure a morale-boosting 3-2 victory over Championship outfit Stoke in the Carabao Cup during the week.
Everton also made a slow start to the season, losing their opening four league games, but they are unbeaten in their five since and will head to the South Coast with renewed belief.
Team news
Saints boss Russell Martin confirmed that Ryan Fraser was withdrawn during the first half of the midweek cup win over Stoke due to illness, but he should be fine for the weekend, as should Mateus Fernandes, whose minutes were managed during that cup success.
Will Smallbone (hamstring), Ross Stewart (calf) and Gavin Bazunu (Achilles) all remain on the treatment table.
Everton are sweating over the fitness of the in-form Dwight McNeil, who was forced off with a knee injury during the latter stages of last weekend's draw with Fulham.
Should McNeil fail to prove his fitness, then he will join Tim Iroegbunam (leg), James Garner (muscle), Armando Broja (Achilles) and Youssef Chermiti (foot) on the treatment table.
The stats
Southampton have made their worst-ever start to a Premier League season, accumulating just a solitary point from their opening nine matches.
Only five sides have averaged more possession than the Saints in this season's top-flight, but their tally of six goals is the joint-worst in the division.
Everton failed to pick up a point from their opening four games of the season, but they have taken nine from the five since, registering two wins and three draws.
Sean Dyche's side were victorious at Ipswich in their most recent away fixture, ending a 15-match winless run on the road across all competitions that stretched back to December.
The Toffees were 2-1 winners on their last visit to St Mary's, with goals from Conor Coady and McNeil cancelling out Joe Aribo's opener for the hosts.
Prediction
It has been a dismal start to the season for Southampton, but they put in a more than credible display against Manchester City last weekend, going down 1-0 to the champions, before following that up with victory over Stoke in the cup.
Those performances should have boosted the confidence within Martin's squad, but the problem for Southampton is they are facing an Everton side whose own upturn in form has stretched over five games.
The Toffees were convincing winners against another of the newly-promoted sides, Ipswich, in their last away fixture and they should have the attacking weapons to hurt a Saints side that are easy on the eye, but appear to be lacking a clinical edge for this level.
Southampton may have edged to a penalty shootout success when these two sides met in the Carabao Cup at Goodison Park last month, but both managers made changes for that game and it should have little bearing on this result.
The bottom line is Everton appear a lot further down the road with their improvement then when compared to Saints, so backing the Toffees in the Draw No Bet market could be the way to approach this crunch clash between two of the bottom five.
Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!
Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6!
