It’s a second game this week at St Mary’s Stadium for Southampton, hosting Everton in a return to Premier League action. Your essential pre-match reading is right here with our Match Pack…
THE MATCH
Saints vs Everton
Premier League
St Mary’s Stadium
Saturday 2nd November, 3pm GMT
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Andy Madley
Assistants: Nick Hopton, Marc Perry
Fourth official: James Bell
WHERE: Matt Donohue
Assistant VAR: Neil Davies
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Saints will be keen to back up their midweek Carabao Cup win with their first victory in the Premier League this season.
With a cup quarter-final place booked and a positive showing against Manchester City in the last two games, Russell Martin’s side know the task at hand against the Toffees.
For Everton, they are unbeaten in five league games but have drawn three of those so will be looking for three points to widen the gap above the relegation zone.
TEAM NEWS
Ryan Fraser is Southampton’s only new injury concern ahead of Saturday’s game, after the winger hobbled off in the first half of Saints’ 3-2 success over Stoke in the Carabao Cup.
Russell Martin confirmed that “we’ll have to assess him again in the morning to see if he’s available,” with the remainder of his squad ready to be selected to face the Toffees.
THE MANAGERS
Russell Martin: “I don’t think the players have ever lost or lacked belief in what they are doing and what we’re asking them to do. I just think results help, good performances help, good process helps, but I think there was a level of pride from the players in the way they performed last week [against Man City].
“The energy on Wednesday [against Stoke] was really good because we won and we got through. They are fighting and we’ve been so close, I think the frustration we feel is that we don’t feel like we have what we deserve to have – sometimes that’s football and we have to make sure we put that right, it’s a long season and we’ve been so competitive.”
Sean Dyche: “The grit and determination to go down there and play well but, also, have that strong jaw aligned with getting points, getting results and winning games. We did that with a lot of, I felt, good control against Ipswich. We’ve got to find that level again down at Southampton as a starting point – or a restart point.
“We’ve shown really good signs of it over varying periods, and then, quite obviously, times where we haven’t earlier on in the season, where we haven’t seen games through and we haven’t gone to the last breath of the game, which I always say to the players.”
TOP SCORERS
Southampton
Goals:
Cameron Archer 4
Taylor Harwood-Bellis 3
James Bree 2
Assists:
Matthew Fernandes 3
Taylor, Dibling, Lallana 2
Walker-Peters, Kamaldeen 1
Everton
Goals:
Dwight McNeil 4
Education of Ndiaye 3
Keane, Beto, Calvert-Lewin 2
Assists:
McNeil, Young 3
Five players 1
ONES TO WATCH
Joe Wednesday: With starts in three of the last four games, Joe Aribo has looked solid in midfield in recent weeks.
He opened his account for the season against Leicester City two weeks ago with a smart finish, and will be looking to build on his attacking output as Saints search for their elusive first league win.
Joe Aribo is off the mark for the season.
Indian Education: The Senegalese international has scored twice in the Premier League so far since his arrival from Marseille in the summer.
A talisman for Sheffield United in his last spell in England, Ndiaye is beginning to settle into life on Merseyside with seven consecutive league starts and an impressive finish against Ipswich Town two weeks ago.
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 110
Everton: 52
Draws: 23
Saints: 35
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
September 2024: Everton 1-1 Saints (3-4 on pens) (Harwood-Bellis)
January 2023: Everton 1-2 Saints (Ward-Prowse 2)
October 2022: Saints 1-2 Everton (Aribo)
February 2022: Saints 2-0 Everton (S Armstrong, Long)
August 2021: Everton 3-1 Saints (A Armstrong)
DID YOU KNOW?
Saints have won 15 Premier League matches against Everton, second only to the 16 victories they have recorded versus Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
Saints won seven of their last 10 Premier League home matches against Everton.
However, Everton are unbeaten in five Premier League matches, their joint-longest run under Sean Dyche.
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