4 janvier. 17h00. Southampton. St. Mary’s Stadium
English Premier League. Day 20
Southampton vs Brentford
Absent: Mateusz Fernandes (Southampton)
Hurt : Flynn Downs (incertain), Gavin Bazunu, Ross Stewart, Jack Stephens – Josh Dasilva, Rico Henry, Aaron Hickey, Ethan Pinnock, Ben Mee, Kristoffer Ajer, Igor Tiago, Gustavo Nunez
Southampton vs Brentford : Cotes des bookmakers
Southampton
Ivan Juric has been in charge of Southampton for less than two weeks. However, it is already obvious that the Croatian coach failed to fundamentally change the fate of the team. After Christmas, the ‘Saints’ suffered two narrow defeats against opponents near the relegation zone, West Ham and Crystal Palace, extending their Premier League winless run to nine matches and sinking further to the bottom of the table.
Despite a ten-point gap to the safety zone, Southampton’s situation is not completely hopeless. The main concern is the lack of signs of improvement. The team requires significant strengthening, and attracting the necessary players will be a difficult task. Who would want to board a sinking ship?
Brentford
The “Hives” are struggling to shake off their title of worst away team of the season. In nine away matches, Brentford are yet to secure a victory, accumulating just two points. However, Thomas Frank is certainly more worried about the difficult situation caused by injuries in his squad. An epidemic of injuries threatens to disrupt a season which had started well for Brentford. The “Hives” were in the top 10 for a significant period, showing entertaining football. It wasn’t until December that Thomas Frank’s side stumbled, mainly due to the loss of several key players. In their last four Premier League matches, the ‘Hives’ have only managed to collect one point, winning just once in their last six meetings.
The start of 2025 brought some promising news. Sepp van den Berg returned to the field after moving from Liverpool and immediately secured his place as a key central defender, alongside Mathias Jensen, who will add depth to the midfield. Both featured in Brentford’s first game of the year. The “Hives” started strong against Arsenal, scoring an early goal. However, they were ultimately rendered helpless against the Gunners’ set-pieces in the second half, suffering a 1-3 defeat.
Southampton vs Brentford: Expected team line-ups
In the match against Arsenal, Thomas Frank understandably opted for a defensive approach. At Southampton, the “Hives” coach will probably rely a lot on the offensive potential of his team. Thus, St. Mary’s is expected to see Brian Mbemo, Yoane Wissa and Mikkel Damsgaard starting alongside Kevin Schade, who has shown excellent form this season.
From Ivan Juric, the British press are anticipating significant changes to the midfield, including the potential return of Flynn Downs and Leslie Ugochukwu.
Southampton vs Brentford: Author’s prediction
For me, Southampton’s main advantage is not just home advantage, but freshness. The “Saints” last played on December 29, three days earlier than Brentford. If you can’t win at home against the worst away team of the season, especially after a grueling Christmas and New Year period in the Premier League, how do Southampton plan to climb out of the bottom of the table? In this match, I’m leaning towards a draw with many goals, and my prediction is that both teams will score.
