EPL: Saints tackle Wolves

Southampton vs. Wolverhampton

Venue: St. Mary’s Stadium

Kick off: 2PM

Southampton will be looking to build on some recent positive results when they continue their Premier League campaign at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers this afternoon.

The Saints occupy 15th position in the table but held the champions Manchester City to a 0-0 draw last weekend, while Wolves sit one spot and one point below their opponents at St Mary’s.

Southampton are still waiting for their first Premier League victory of the 2021-22 campaign, but they have suffered just one defeat in five games, drawing the other four against Manchester United, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Man City.

The Saints also progressed in the EFL Cup on Tuesday courtesy of a penalty-shootout win over Sheffield United, and head coach Ralph Hasenhuttl will now be looking for his side to triumph in the Premier League ahead of a difficult trip to Stamford Bridge to face title hopefuls Chelsea next weekend.

There were certainly positives in the goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium last weekend, while Southampton have impressed in their last two home league fixtures against Man United and West Ham.

Hasenhuttl’s side have only scored four times in their five matches, which will be a concern having lost Danny Ings over the summer, but they have only conceded six times, and considering the strength of the opposition the Saints have faced, it has been a positive start in a defensive sense.

Southampton have only won one of their last five matches against Wolves in all competitions, though, and just two of their last 12. Last term, Wolves recorded a 2-1 victory in the corresponding match courtesy of second-half goals from Ruben Neves and Pedro Neto.

The visitors will enter today’s contest off the back of a penalty-shootout defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, with Spurs winning on spot kicks following a 2-2 draw at Molineux.

There is no getting away from the fact that it has been a tough start to the season for new head coach Bruno Lage, who has picked up just three points from his opening five Premier League fixtures at the helm.

Wolves recorded their first league success of the season away to Watford after the international break but suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Brentford last weekend, with Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbuemo on the scoresheet for the promoted side in the first half of the contest.

A total of three points has left Lage’s team in 16th spot in the table, just one point above 18th-placed Newcastle United, and there is already pressure on the new head coach ahead of two huge matches.

Indeed, Wolves will follow this weekend’s clash with a home game against fellow strugglers Newcastle on October 2, and alarm bells could start to ring at Molineux if two more defeats arrive before the international break.

Southampton possible XI: McCarthy, Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Walker-Peters, Elyounoussi, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Redmond, Armstrong, Adams.

Wolves possible XI: Sa, Kilman, Coady, Saiss, Semedo, Neves, Moutinho, Marcal, Traore, Jimenez, Trincao.