Newcastle vs Southampton
Date: 08/12/2019
K/O: 14:00
Venue: St. James’ Park
Referee: David Coote
Newcastle welcome Southampton to St. James’ Park in a grudge match towards the bottom of the Premier League table with only one point separating the two sides.
The Toon Army will head into the fixture with history on their side as in their last five meetings in the Premier League they have only lost once (W2 D2 L1).
Steve Bruce will be confident heading into this fixture after their 2-2 draw against the reigning champions, Manchester City, followed by a 2-0 away win at Sheffield United. Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is also likely to be in a confident mood ahead of the fixture having steadied the ship to go three games unbeaten in the Premier League.
The road will be of no worry to the Saints as prior to the double game week, 86% of their points had been away from home. Combine that with a three-game undefeated run and you have a dangerous Southampton side who could cause the Magpies problems.
Despite both Almiron and Joelinton having 23 attempts on goal, it is Jonjo Shelvey who leads the scoring for Newcastle with only three goals for the season. This gives Hasenhuttl a lot more to think about as attacks are not directed through or towards one single player, unlike Norwich with Teemu Pukki. Allan Saint-Maximin will be a player who will look to cause Southampton’s defence problems this weekend with his skilful feet and quick thinking; the Saints’ back four will always need to be on their toes.
Newcastle will also need to be wary. Danny Ings is the striker in form this season with four goals in his last four games. The beauty of Ings is that all 29 of his goals scored in the Premier League have been from inside the box, and if he is fit, he will cause defences problems in and around the penalty area.
Newcastle
Wonderboy Saint-Maximin is being monitored closely after the recent clash with Sheffield United as he picked up a very minor ankle injury.
Newcastle and Steve Bruce will be relishing the thought of extra games over the Christmas period. Drawing against the champions and beating Sheffield United at home are two results that are not to be sniffed at and will fill the side with a sense of confidence and belief to climb up the table.
The way that Bruce set up against Sheffield was one of the most defensively organised squads that have been seen in a long time, drawing the Blades out of position and striking them on the counter-attack. A tactic that would cause the Saints some serious problems, especially with their shaky defence. If Cedric Soares plays on Sunday, one can be sure that his side of the field will be targeted.
The European cup winner likes to venture forward and leave huge gaps in the Saints defence, which could be vital information for a Newcastle triumph.
Southampton
Stuart Armstrong will be the only player unavailable for the clash due to the hamstring injury picked up at the Emirates in their 2-2 draw.
Southampton and Ralph Hasenhuttl show see this game as a huge opportunity as three points would lift them to within one point of Newcastle who currently sit in 11th place.
Six points currently separate 17th place and 6th place, meaning that if any side can pull a run together within the Christmas period, they could see themselves healthily in the top half of the Premier League table. Hasenhuttl will be determined to secure this, and after two home wins in a row for the first time since March, he will not see any reason he cannot propel his side on whilst maintaining their momentum.
Southampton’s current 4-2-2-2 formation may not fare well against the banks of midfield that Bruce has seemed to instil on the Newcastle side. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if Hasenhuttl switches his tactics or whether he will stick with the same side who have won the last two games.
Concentration within the defence will be a key part of Saints’ chances of success, as for most games their defence have been solid. Their downfall comes from lapses of concentration and communication, something that will be punished at this level of football, which they have been.
Predicted Starting XIs
Newcastle (4-5-1): Dubravka; Manquillo, Fernandez, Clark, Dummett, Willems; Almiron, Shelvey, Hayden, Saint-Maximin; Joelinton
Southampton (4-4-2): McCarthy; Cedric, Bednarek, Stephens, Bertrand; Djenepo, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Boufal; Ings, Long.
Prediction: Newcastle 2-1 Southampton
More sloppy defending from Southampton will be punished by an in-form Newcastle side, whose defensive stance will prove a struggle to break down for Hasenhuttl’s side.
