After last week’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal, the mood around Southampton has improved greatly, and at just the right time too.
The Saints next two Premier League fixtures could well be games that define Southampton’s season right until May, with Watford and Norwich City both making the trip down to the south coast in a relegation royale for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.
Indeed, six points from six is what the fans and Southampton players will be hoping for, and with the Hornets coming up first for the Saints tonight, a win against Watford could transform Hasenhuttl side’s season for the better.
Will Southampton's season kick-off from here?AbsolutelyNo way, we need major improvements |
Although victory against the Hornets won’t take Southampton out of the relegation zone, with four points currently separating the Saints from 17th place West Ham in the table, a win is the confidence booster that the south coast side are in desperate need of, with the Premier League side yet to win a league game since mid-September.
And history is somewhat on Southampton’s side, with records from 11v11 showing that the Saints have not lost to Watford since September 2017, the Hornets only victory against Hasenhuttl’s side this decade out of 11 encounters.
The odds are in Southampton’s favour, and although Hasenhuttl will be without Stuart Armstrong and potentially Sofiane Boufal as reported on the club’s official website, the Saints should have every right to feel confident about tonight’s fixture against Watford, with their manager Quique Sanchez Flores under increasing pressure of being the second Hornets manager to face the chop this season.
Three points won’t get Southampton out of the relegation zone this week, but a win will be the best step going forward for the Saints, who are in need of three points out of any side in the Premier League going into Matchday 14 of the season.
