Southampton vs Aston Villa will be an intriguing clash as both teams will fancy their chances of winning at St Mary’s on Friday (start time 4pm ET on Peacock Premium).
STREAM LIVE SOUTHAMPTON v ASTON VILLA
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are unbeaten in three games and have picked up seven points from their last nine as they sit one point and one place above Aston Villa heading into this game. The likes of Che Adams and Armando Broja have been stepping up with big goals, but putting away chances has been a problem for Saints this season as they’ve drawn five of their 10 games and scored just nine times. The main reason Southampton have moved up the table in recent weeks is due to their defensive improvement. They have conceded just 12 goals in their opening 10 games of the season, with four shutouts.
As for Villa, their defense has been all over the place as they’ve conceded 19, with 12 of those coming in their last four games. Dean Smith’s side are struggling for form after four-straight defeats and there are some reports suggesting that the Villa boss could be under pressure and may lose his job. One of the main storylines swirling around this game will be Danny Ings, who joined Villa from his hometown club Southampton this summer. Ings missed the defeat against West Ham last week with an injury, and it will be intriguing to see what kind of reception he gets from the Saints fans if he does feature.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Southampton vs Aston Villa.
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Southampton team news, injuries, lineup options
Saints have two injury issues with Jack Stephens out for at least another month with a knee issue. Armando Broja picked up an ankle injury which kept him out of the 1-0 win at Watford last week and he is battling to be fit. If Broja is fit he will push Che Adams and Adam Armstrong all the way for a starting spot.
Kicking off the @premierleague weekend 👊
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) November 5, 2021
Here’s our team for tonight’s clash with #AVFC: pic.twitter.com/vOo5bbQous
Aston Villa team news, injuries, lineup options
Villa were without a couple of key players for the defeat against West Ham as Douglas Luiz and Danny Ings were both out. They joined Morgan Sanson, Bertrand Traore and Mohamed Trezeguet on the sidelines. Jacob Ramsey went off injured with an ankle knock against West Ham, while Ezri Konsa was sent off and will miss this game at Southampton. Tyrone Mings will likely come in for Konsa.
This is your Aston Villa team to face Southampton tonight. 🙌 #SOUAVL pic.twitter.com/swcePz4xfY
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 5, 2021
Odds and ends (full odds provided by our partner, PointsBet)
Southampton are the clear favorites to win at +105, while Aston Villa are +250 to win. The draw is +245.
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Prediction
All signs point to a Southampton win given their recent form and Villa’s recent struggles, but this feels like it will be a tight, tense game. Villa will go back to basics and Saints aren’t taking a lot of the chances they are creating. I can see a draw. Southampton 1-1 Aston Villa.
