English Premier
2015-12-05 - Southampton v Aston Villa
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 5th December 2015 - Kick Off 3pm
Southampton
It was another disappointing end to what had looked a promising League Cup run for Southampton as they were beaten in the Quarter Final for the second year in a row. One thing would have been losing, but Southampton were humiliated at the hands of Liverpool in a 1-6 defeat here on Wednesday night, but The Saints might have the perfect fixture to try and bounce back.
This has been a poor run of form since the return from the international break that has seen Southampton slip to 10th in the Premier League table and out of the Capital One Cup. The side are still only 7 points from a top four spot so nothing has been lost yet, but Southampton will want to improve their 3-1-3 record at St Mary's where they have scored 12 goals and conceded 10 in the League.
Southampton have lost 3 in a row in all competitions and have conceded nine goals in their last couple of games. A strong run at home where they had won 3 of 4 games and been unbeaten in all of those have been ended for Southampton with back to back losses here to Stoke City and Liverpool.
Jose Fonte could be back in the squad this week, but Jay Rodriguez looks to be missing yet again.
Aston Villa
Remi Garde has enjoyed a miserable start to life as manager of Aston Villa and he will certainly be aware of the task in front of him to save the club from the drop. A 2-3 home loss to Watford can be described as 'relegation form' and Aston Villa are going to have to dig incredibly deep to simply be in touch with the teams above them come the January transfer window.
Going into this month, Aston Villa are 20th in the Premier League table and their 5 points earned means they are 7 points behind Sunderland outside of the relegation zone. It has to be a big worry to the fans that they haven't won since opening day and being bottom on Christmas Day hasn't worked out well for the majority of clubs over the Premier League era. The side will try and improve a 1-0-6 away record where they have scored 7 goals and conceded 17.
Southampton fans might not think their team is in the best current form, but they are still far superior to Aston Villa who have lost 8 of their last 9 games in all competitions. The away form has been very concerning for Aston Villa as they have lost 7 in a row on their travels and they have conceded at least twice in each of those losses.
Jack Grealish continues to be punished for going out partying after a defeat at Aston Villa and Ciaran Clark is suspended. Micah Richards scored last week but has picked up a knock and is doubtful to play.
Head to Head
Southampton beat Aston Villa 2-1 here in the Capital One Cup earlier this season.
That means Southampton have won 3 of their last 4 home games against Aston Villa including a thumping 6-1 win over them towards the end of last season.
Prediction
I might have fancied Liverpool were going to be too good for Southampton in the Capital One Cup, but I couldn't predict the complete capitulation the home team would suffer despite going ahead inside the first minute. A 1-6 home defeat is a humbling experience and Ronald Koeman will be demanding Southampton end their recent 3 game losing run and bounce back immediately this week.
The Dutchman might not have been able to pick out a better fixture than facing bottom club Aston Villa at home, especially considering how poor the latter have been in recent weeks. Remi Garde's appointment has done nothing to stem the negative tide against Aston Villa and it is hard to see how this club will survive.
Conceding at least two goals away from home is a recipe for disaster and it hasn't worked out well for Aston Villa who have lost their last 7 away games. The 4-0 thumping at Everton last time out was not a flattering scoreline for the home team and Aston Villa look to be in big trouble.
They have to travel to the south coast believing the game Southampton played on Wednesday may have a sapped a few legs and give Aston Villa a chance. However, I can't help think of the goals the away team are conceding on their travels while it might be even more difficult for Aston Villa without the likes of Micah Richards and Ciaran Clark at the heart of the defence.
A late goal prevented Southampton beating Aston Villa by at least two goals when they met in the League Cup and I do think the home team have the edge. Confidence might not be high, but Aston Villa are a poor team and Southampton should have the talent in the final third to create chances and win this one fairly comfortably to end their 3 game losing run in all competitions.
The Statistics :
| SOUTHAMPTON LAST SIX HOME FORM | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
DATE | RESULT | OPPOSITION | |
| 2015-11-21 | L | 0-1 | H v Stoke_City | |
| 2015-11-01 | W | 2-0 | H v Bournemouth | |
| 2015-10-17 | D | 2-2 | H v Leicester | |
| 2015-09-26 | W | 3-1 | H v Swansea | |
| 2015-09-20 | L | 2-3 | H v Man_Utd | |
| 2015-08-30 | W | 3-0 | H v Norwich | |
| ASTON_VILLA LAST SIX AWAY FORM | ||||
 |
DATE | RESULT | OPPOSITION | |
| 2015-11-21 | L | 4-0 | A v Everton | |
| 2015-11-02 | L | 3-1 | A v Tottenham | |
| 2015-10-17 | L | 2-0 | A v Chelsea | |
| 2015-09-26 | L | 3-2 | A v Liverpool | |
| 2015-09-13 | L | 3-2 | A v Leicester | |
| 2015-08-22 | L | 2-1 | A v Crystal_Palace | |
| HEAD TO HEAD SOUTHAMPTON v ASTON_VILLA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| DATE | HOME | SCORE | AWAY |
| 2015-05-16 | Southampton | 6-1 | Aston_Villa |
| 2013-12-04 | Southampton | 2-3 | Aston_Villa |
| 2012-09-22 | Southampton | 4-1 | Aston_Villa |
| 2005-04-16 | Southampton | 2-3 | Aston_Villa |
| 2004-05-08 | Southampton | 1-1 | Aston_Villa |
| 2003-03-22 | Southampton | 2-2 | Aston_Villa |
The Pick :
Southampton 2-1 Aston Villa
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