Southampton are travelling to Hertfordshire for their Premier League fixture against Watford tomorrow. It looks like Marco Silva’s men have dropped their hands from the steering wheel and are on their way to the bottom half of the table.
A 1-2 loss to rock bottom Swansea City at home was shocking for all the fans at Vicarage Road. Silva’s men looked lethargic and did not take their chances to kill the game off. Instead, they allowed the Swans to snatch three points away with two late goals.
They also got completely outclassed by Manchester City at the Etihad and the manager was left pondering over the future of the side.
But they are still in the 10th spot and have been blessed with a matchup against a team who are struggling in the bottom half of the Premier League. Southampton are on a 9-game winless streak and have dropped steeply from their promising start to the campaign. The club has just lost their best defender in Virgil van Dijk and are facing a few injury problems themselves.
The Watford team is also crippled by multiple injuries and are not their strongest self. If the Saints can locate the opposition’s weak spots they can cause an upset away from home.
A win is hard to predict for either side right now.
Silva is expected to field his men in the 4-3-3 formation.
Defence
Heurelho Gomes is the first choice keeper for the side and should get the nod again for this fixture. He has averaged 3 saves per match so far into the season.
Daryl Janmaat should find himself in the right-back position with Marvin Zeegelaar on the other end.
Sebastian Prödl is expected to return to the lineup ahead of the youngster, Molla Wague for this matchup. Christian Kabasele, unfortunately, got an own goal under his belt in the last fixture against City. The duo are predicted starters in the centre defence role.
Midfield
Abdoulaye Doucouré is the expected to pair up in the holding midfield role alongside Ben Watson. Doucouré will have a more offensive role with Watson taking over the defensive pressures against Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Oriol Romeu.
Etienne Capoue returned to the lineup in the last league fixture and might not get featured again in this matchup. Roberto Pereyra is the predicted starter in the attacking midfield role behind the lone striker.
Attack
Andre Gray missed a couple of open chance against City but also got the side’s only goal of the game. His pace will be hard for the vulnerable Southampton defence to handle. Gray might get flanked by Richarlison and Andre Carrillo with the latter fielded on the left.
