With just one point separating the two teams, Southampton’s visit to Stoke City could be a cracking game. The winner could well regain their place in the top 7 of the table. Here are the 3 key battles that could decide the fate of the game.
Xherdan Shaqiri vs Oriol Romeu
Although occasional injuries have prevented him from playing regular football this season so far and put in consistently good performances to show his flair and flamboyance in the midfield, no one can deny his ability with the ball and prowess to find the back of the net from dead balls. He has scored three goals this season and has created 23 chances. He has also completed 205 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 79%, of which 63% were forward passes.
Puel will have his anchorman Oriol Romeu cover him. Romeu looked by far at his best form when Southampton defeated Middlesbrough last weekend. A perfect pivot player, the Spaniard looked very unlikely to commit any mistake and he didn’t.
Romeu will have a major task at hand as most of Stoke’s build up develops through Shaqiri. The Spaniard has completed 718 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 87%, of which 82% were forward passes. This will by far be the most important battle in the midfield and might be hugely responsible for the end result.
Sofiane Boufal vs Glenn Johnson
Although Boufal hasn’t been quite a regular in the Southampton squad up till now thanks to his injury troubles, he took his chance brilliantly when an injured Charlie Austin left the position open for his inclusion. He has largely featured in the EFL Cup campaign for the Saints till now.
However, his brilliantly controlled shot against Boro has definitely earned him a first team place and his technique on the ball is also highly applauded now. Although that was his first goal of the season, he has created 10 chances this season in 6 appearances. He has completed 88 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 73%, of which 85% were forward passes.
Johnson suffered an eye injury against Arsenal but is expected to return for the game. He missed most part of the Premier League campaign with an injury, his return has surely given a composure to Stoke’s defence. He is the best option for Hughes in the right back position.
Marko Arnautovic vs Virgil van Dijk
Arnautovic showed his quality against Arsenal. He looked quite difficult to shut out from the likes of Koscielny and Gabriel. He broke into dangerous situations at times, though, his finish let him down. His stats reflect the same. He has scored one goal this season, and registered two assists, with a shot accuracy of 33%.
The man covering him, on the other hand, has been so good that he has now become a hot prospect across Europe. He has won 21 tackles this season with a success rate of 51%. He has made 41 interceptions, 108 clearances and 12 blocks.
Arnautovic has to do really well to get something out of the match.
