da pinnacle： In what could potentially be one of the least entertaining Premier League matches this weekend, a goal-shy Southampton host an Everton side who have made a disastrous start to the season and still don’t have a permanent manager.
da poker： Saints would have hoped that Mauricio Pellegrino could bring a more attacking and attractive style of football to St Mary’s following the sacking of Claude Puel during the summer, but nine goals in 12 Premier League matches this term have left the St Mary’s faithful almost bored to tears.
The Argentine is under pressure following successive defeats against Burnley and Liverpool – the latter a 3-0 loss at Anfield last weekend – and he looks to desperately need a positive result against Everton.
Meanwhile, a brilliant comeback win against Watford and a draw against bottom-of-the-table Crystal Palace suggested an upturn in the Toffees’ fortunes under caretaker boss David Unsworth, but a humiliating 5-1 defeat against Atalanta in the Europa League at Goodison Park on Thursday has brought them back down to earth.
Nevertheless, both Southampton and Everton do have the players to prevent this being a dull, goalless draw, and they will hope those individuals step up on the south coast.
Here are four key on-pitch battles that will decide the result…
Sofiane Boufal vs Idrissa Gueye
After struggling to get into the team earlier in the campaign, Boufal has started Southampton’s last three Premier League matches and he may well feature in the No.10 role for the visit of the Toffees.
While the Moroccan hasn’t made too much of an impact in those three outings, his stunning solo goal in the narrow 1-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion previously shows the threat he can bring in an attacking sense and that could be vital in a game like this one.
The man tasked with keeping the Moroccan quiet in the middle of the park will likely be Gueye, who has endured a disappointing personal campaign – the same as many of his teammates – following such an impressive season last time out.
Gylfi Sigurdsson vs Mario Lemina
When you cost a club-record fee of £45m, the pressure was always going to be on Sigurdsson to perform to a high level every week.
Of course, that hasn’t happened so far this season with Everton in such bad form – especially when he was pushed out to the left-hand side rather than in his preferred No.10 role.
However, the Iceland international did start in that position against Crystal Palace last time out and the Merseyside outfit need him to perform at St Mary’s having picked up just one assist and no goals in the Premier League this term.
He may well come up against Lemina, who has missed Southampton’s last three games with an injury but is in contention to return on Sunday.
While Pellegrino may not normally risk the Gabon international, who has been so impressive following his summer move from Juventus, the fact that Oriol Romeu is suspended may force his hand.
Manolo Gabbiadini vs Michael Keane
Gabbiadini found himself named on the substitutes’ bench for the trip to Liverpool last weekend – mainly because Pellegrino wanted to utilise Shane Long’s pace on the counter-attack – but the Italian is likely to once again be the lone striker on Sunday.
The 25-year-old is Saints’ top scorer having netted three of their nine Premier League goals so far this season, and the St Mary’s faithful will be desperate for him to add to that tally against the Toffees – provided he gets the right service from those behind him.
He is likely to come up against Keane, whose confidence could be in tatters following another dismal performance in the 5-1 defeat against Atalanta.
The England international looks a shadow of the player that was so impressive for Burnley last term, and he knows that he needs to put in a big performance to try and help his side keep their first clean sheet in 13 matches.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin vs Virgil van Dijk
Calvert-Lewin was only named on the substitutes’ bench for the embarrassing defeat to Atalanta on Thursday night and with Oumar Niasse suspended for the trip to St Mary’s, it seems likely that he will lead the line for Everton on the south coast.
The 20-year-old has certainly shown that he doesn’t mind putting himself about, and he will be hoping that he can add to the one Premier League goal he has scored this season on Sunday.
The young attacker will come up against Virgil van Dijk, who missed the start of the season due to injury. The Netherlands international certainly isn’t back to his best yet despite starting Saints’ last six top flight matches, and he will know that he needs to put in a big and dominant performance to help his side pick up a much-needed victory against the Toffees.