Southampton vs Everton: Match Preview | Toffees head south to take on struggling Saints
Yesterday at 07:18 PM
The Blues have the chance to move into the safety of mid-table
Everton have to chance to put further daylight between themselves and the bottom three with a win at bottom club Southampton.
The Toffees could move as many as eight points clear if they win and other results go their way, a considerable buffer even at this stage of the season.
It feels incredibly negative to be talking in such terms. But the consequences of dropping out of the league just as we move to Bramley-Moore are so great, simply staying away from danger has to be the first target.
We also have to consider that horrible run of fixtures in December. Everton need to be in a relatively solid position going into those games or things could get pretty ugly.
Speaking of ugly, Everton's performance against Fulham was nothing to write home about. It is rare for the Toffees to be genuinely lucky to get something from a game - they are usually desperately unlucky or simply blown away. But they certainly had some good fortune to take a point.
They deserve some credit for fighting until the end, and the draw means it is now five games unbeaten - the longest unbeaten record under Dyche - but it was a concerning display against a solid but unspectacular Fulham team.
The opposition
Things have not got much better for Southampton since they beat Everton on penalties in the Carabao Cup in September.
Russell Martin's side conceded a stoppage-time equaliser at home to Ipswich in their next game before tumbling to four straight defeats. Granted two of those were against Man City and Arsenal, but the other two were at south coast rivals Bournemouth and a crushing 3-2 defeat at home to Leicester, which saw the Saints 'do an Everton' by conceding three goals late in the second half to lose.
A 3-2 Carabao Cup win over Stoke in midweek will boost confidence, but Southampton desperately need Premier League wins if they are to avoid being cut adrift. They are already five points away from safety and no team has ever stayed in the Premier League with as little as one point from their first nine games.
Martin's determination to stick to his footballing principles is admirable, but when does that determination become self-defeating stubbornness?
Previous meeting
Everton 1-1 Southampton (Southampton win 5-6 on pens) 17 September 2024
Yep, you only have to go back six weeks for another grim Goodison night as Everton stumbled to a 1-1 draw, before tumbling out on penalties.
Team news
Sean Dyche is hopeful Dwight McNeil will be fit despite being forced off with a knee injury late on against Fulham.
Abdoulaye Doucoure is also available after recovering from a knock, but James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam face lengthy spells out with back and foot injuries respectively.
Youssef Chermiti and Armando Broja are also a while away from a return.
What they said
Everton boss Sean Dyche: "We've got to perform better than we did in the last game, but we've equally got to show the same mentality. 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 start point – or a restart point.
"I did mention it after the [Fulham] game, that relentless attitude towards winning. I think it can be built over time, and we've tried to do that."
Southampton boss 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 Manchester 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".
Final word
Everton have a patchy record at Saint Mary's but this is a wonderful opportunity to climb the table and maintain the momentum that has been slowly building. Anything less than a point will be extremely disappointing.
