Having experienced very different fortunes in midweek, Aston Villa and the Premier League's rock-bottom side Southampton will clash at Villa Park on Saturday.
While Villa finally ended their winless streak at the expense of Brentford, the Saints suffered a home hammering by Chelsea and are firmly rooted in the relegation zone.
Match preview
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Four days after Aston Villa slipped into the bottom half of the Premier League table, as high-flying Chelsea ruthlessly extended their wait for a win, the Birmingham club brought a halt to their dismal run of results.
Wednesday's 3-1 defeat of Brentford eased the pressure on a team that had been sinking down the standings both in Europe and on the domestic front.
Having endured his own personal dip in form, new England international Morgan Rogers came good by firing the Villans in front midway through the first half, before Ollie Watkins converted a penalty against his old club and Matty Cash effectively made the points safe.
As a result, Unai Emery's men moved up to seventh place and prolonged their unbeaten run to six Premier League home matches, ahead of another top-flight fixture at Villa Park.
Prior to Southampton's arrival in the West Midlands, Villa have gone undefeated in all 11 of their league games against promoted opposition since Emery took charge, winning five from six at home under their Basque boss.
They have also come out on top in each of the clubs' last three encounters - without conceding a single goal - and Saints' recent form suggests that trend could continue.
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Southampton are adrift at the foot of the table with more than a third of their comeback campaign already gone, having picked up just one point since the last international break.
A 1-0 home win over Everton is still Saints' sole Premier League success of the season, while their dismal defensive record is only better than fellow strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers.
They have shipped 30 goals at a rate exceeding two per game this term, following a 5-1 crushing by Chelsea in midweek.
Furthermore, Russell Martin's men have scored the fewest goals of any side in England's top flight; all of which leaves them seven points behind 17th-placed Crystal Palace in the fight for survival.
With tough games against top-six contenders Villa and Tottenham Hotspur to come before an EFL Cup quarter-final against Liverpool later this month, Martin could be clinging onto his job in the run-up to Christmas.
Before hitting the road this weekend, Southampton are winless in 14 Premier League away games, losing 11 times since February 2023. Indeed, no team has collected fewer points away from home this season.
Team News
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Perhaps with one eye on an important Champions League trip to Leipzig next Tuesday, Unai Emery may make more changes to his Aston Villa lineup, after surprisingly picking Tyrone Mings in midweek.
Diego Carlos, Pau Torres, Jhon Duran and Ian Maatsen head the queue for promotion from the bench should Emery rotate his resources, while Amadou Onana could be back among the substitutes following a foot injury; Jacob Ramsey is still sidelined by a hamstring problem.
Hoping to hold off competition from Duran to start up front, Ollie Watkins has scored five goals in his last six Premier League appearances at Villa Park, and he needs just one more to match Dwight Yorke's longstanding club record of 37 on home turf.
Following his dismissal against Chelsea, the absence of Jack Stephens through suspension will deepen Southampton's selection woes this weekend: Will Smallbone, Adam Lallana and first-choice goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale are among several players occupying a packed treatment room.
In brighter news for Russell Martin, both Paul Onuachu and Jan Bednarek may be able to return, while Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tyler Dibling and Flynn Downes will all be back after serving one-match bans.
Lesley Ugochukwu was also blocked from playing against his parent club last time out, so Saints' starting XI could look very different on Saturday afternoon.
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Tielemans; Bailey, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins
Southampton possible starting lineup:
Lumley; Sugawara, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Manning; Dibling, Aribo, Downes, Fernandes; Archer
We say: Aston Villa 2-0 Southampton
Looking less like a pale shadow of their former selves, Aston Villa seemed more vibrant in midweek, so they can kick on and secure back-to-back wins in the Premier League.
Southampton's string of absences have only served to increase their misery, and they are set to return south empty-handed.
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Jonathan O'Shea
