Two teams who opened their respective Premier League campaigns with 2-2 draws last weekend will go head to head in Saturday's early kickoff as Southampton host Everton at St Mary's.

Both sides will have ambitions of pushing for European football this season, and will see this weekend's clash as an early acid test of their credentials.

Southampton

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For a team that boasted the second best defensive record in the Premier League last season, to have conceded two on the opening day could be an early concern.

With Ronald Koeman absent due to an injury, his brother Erwin took his place on the sidelines at St James' Park, where he watched Southampton squander a one-goal lead before rescuing a point against Newcastle United. However, it could have been more had Sadio Mane's finishing been slightly more astute late on.

As starts go, it was neither disastrous nor particularly encouraging, but early parallels can perhaps be drawn to the corresponding fixture last season, when the Saints again surrendered a lead, but recovered to win the match and pick up all three points.

Of course, no firm conclusions can be made after just one game of the season, but if Southampton are to replicate their success from last term then they can't afford to drop too many points in matches they won in 2014-15.

It was a minor setback, however, and there are plenty of positives to draw from the game itself. Graziano Pelle and Shane Long both got off the mark, while Jay Rodriguez made it a confidence-boosting treble for the club's strikers with a first start in 16 months.

The forward completed 65 minutes in the North-East and, if he can rediscover the form that saw him score five goals in the four games prior to his ACL injury in April 2014, then he will feel like a new signing for the club.

Speaking of new signings, Chelsea's Oriol Romeu is the latest to have joined Koeman's crusade as they prepare to continue their first European campaign for 12 years, with the Europa League resuming next week.

The immediate task is the club's first home league game of the season, however, and considering only the top four had a better record in front of their own fans last term, Koeman will be eager to get off to a positive start.

Pelle may be key to that having scored 11 of his 13 Premier League goals at St Mary's, while he also now has five in his last eight top-flight appearances having ended a 14-game drought prior to that.

Recent form: WWD
Recent form (all competitions): D

Everton

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While Southampton have cause to be optimistic about their season, the lingering feeling around Everton is one of concern.

An underwhelming summer in the transfer market could go from bad to worse should the relentless speculation of a John Stones exit materialise into a move, although manager Roberto Martinez has ruled out the sale of his young centre-back.

Keeping hold of the 21-year-old will be high on the list of priorities at Goodison Park, but whether his head will be elsewhere until the rumours are resolved or the transfer window shuts remains to be seen.

On the pitch, the Toffees made an inauspicious start to their season as they welcomed newly-promoted Watford last Saturday. Martinez's side were forced to come from behind twice to rescue a point against the Hornets, with Arouna Kone's equaliser coming just four minutes from time.

The Merseyside buzzword of 'character' can be trotted out again to describe the performance, but a genuine positive for Everton, and indeed England fans, will be Ross Barkley's name on the scoresheet.

The young midfielder was in and out of the game as he was in and out of the side last season, but a sustained run of fixtures could be exactly the catalyst both he and Everton need to get themselves back on the right path after a difficult 2014-15.

One of the major concerns will be that a number of teams around them in the table last season have significantly strengthened this summer, while the only major change from last term for the Toffees is the return of Gerard Deulofeu.

There were increasing murmurs of discontent amongst the fans as the 2014-15 campaign progressed, and Martinez will do well to get off to a good start this time around too. After Southampton, the Toffees face Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Swansea City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal in their next eight outings. Sandwiched between them is also a tricky trip to face Tony Pulis's West Bromwich Albion.

Should their key players find form then they may be able to give many of them a game, but Romelu Lukaku has just four goals in his last 23 Premier League outings, while Leighton Baines remains sidelined for the foreseeable future - Everton have won just two of their eight league games without the left-back since the start of last season.

Recent form: D

Team News

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Perhaps the most significant piece of team news for the hosts is that Koeman, of the Ronald variety, is expected to return to the dugout.

With the exception of Rodriguez coming through his return unscathed, there isn't much else positive for the Saints. Long-term absentees Fraser Forster and Florin Gardos remain sidelined, while Gaston Ramirez is also not expected to recover in time to feature.

Ryan Bertrand is struggling with a knee injury, and new signings Steven Caulker and Jordy Clasie will also both miss the match, the latter being ruled out for a further three weeks with a hamstring injury.

Everton also have a packed treatment room for this stage of the season, with the aforementioned Baines being joined by Steven Pienaar (thigh), Aiden McGeady (hamstring), Darron Gibson (ankle) and Tony Hibbert (knee).

There are also concerns over the fitness of Kevin Mirallas after he picked up an ankle injury on the opening weekend, while Muhamed Besic and Deulofeu are both doubts.

Southampton possible starting lineup:
Stekelenburg; Cedric, Fonte, Yoshida, Targett; Davis, Wanyama, Rodriguezm Tadic, Mane; Pelle

Everton possible starting lineup:
Howard; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Galloway; McCarthy, Barry, Naismith, Barkley, Cleverley; Lukaku

Head To Head

Everton's last visit to St Mary's was one to forget for the Merseysiders as they fell to a 3-0 defeat in December, with a Lukaku own goal getting the hosts on their way.

The Toffees did win the reverse fixture, but they are without a victory at Southampton in their last six attempts (W3 D3), while they have failed to even score on their last three visits.

The last time Everton did emerge from Southampton with all three points was way back in April 2002.

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We say: Southampton 2-1 Everton

Neither side will be entirely happy with their start to the season and, with similar goals to each other this term, they will see this as a chance to both bounce back and get one over on their rivals. However, Southampton's home record last season was good and, with their key players in better form than Everton's, we're going to go for a home victory.

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