After suffering a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City, Southampton finds itself at the bottom of the Premier League, with just one point from nine matches. While Russell Martin’s team wasn’t expected to beat the reigning champions, they missed crucial opportunities to secure points against Ipswich Town, Bournemouth, and Leicester City.
The importance of those matches is becoming clear. Following their upcoming games against fellow relegation candidates Everton and Wolves, Southampton will face five top Premier League teams, including Liverpool, Chelsea, and Aston Villa, all currently in the top five. Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur also pose a challenge as two of the league’s highest-scoring teams. Therefore, it’s essential for Southampton to secure victories against Everton and Wolves to avoid falling further behind in the standings.
Star fullback Kyle Walker-Peters recently addressed the team’s struggles, emphasizing the need for a crucial win to establish a foundation for a Premier League comeback. Before facing Everton, Southampton has a Carabao Cup match against Championship side Stoke City.
The Saints previously eliminated Sean Dyche’s team in the third round of the Cup on penalties and aim for a convincing win over Stoke ahead of their league clash. Stoke City is also struggling, sitting 19th in the Championship after a 2-0 loss to Sheffield United and remaining winless in their last four league matches.
With Stoke’s inconsistency in their last ten games, Southampton must capitalize early, ideally scoring a few first-half goals to ensure advancement to the fifth round. First-team players Yukinari Sugawara and Will Smallbone are likely sidelined due to injuries sustained against Leicester City. However, last season’s Championship second top-scorer Adam Armstrong could return to the starting lineup.
Manager Russell Martin is expected to rotate the squad, providing more playing time for Kamaldeen Sulemana and Paul Onuachu. This match presents a valuable opportunity for Southampton’s forwards to regain their scoring touch and demonstrate whether they can advance in the Carabao Cup.
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