Gabriel Agbonlahor now shares whether he thinks Southampton will stay in the Premier League
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Southampton look set to be involved in a relegation battle this season after a tough start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.
Russell Martin is yet to oversee a top-flight victory since guiding the Saints back into the Premier League last term, thanks to a 1-0 win over Leeds United in the Championship Play-Off final.
However, there have been signs of encouragement, with Tyler Dibling – who Manchester United are scouting – catching the eye in particular.
Despite that, Gabriel Agbonlahor has now made a relegation claim no Southampton fan will enjoy hearing.
Gabriel Agbonlahor tips Southampton for Premier League relegation
The 37-year-old did not hold back when discussing Southampton’s chances of survival on talkSPORT.
Agbonlahor said: “I don't think Southampton have got a prayer of staying up. When you are not going to score many goals because you haven't got that top Premier League quality going forward, you need clean sheets. The way Southampton are playing, they are going to keep conceding goals.”
Martin, who said he regretted praising Southampton players after Monday’s 3-1 loss to Bournemouth, is eager for his side to play out from the back, although it has proven to be a risky approach, one that has left the Saints 19th in the Premier League right now.
| Position | Team | PlayedMP | WonW | DrawnD | LostL | ForGF | AgainstGA | DiffGD | PointsPts |
| 17 | LeicesterLeicester | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 12 | -4 | 3 |
| 18 | Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 3 |
| 19 | SouthamptonSouthampton | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 12 | -9 | 1 |
| 20 | WolvesWolves | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 16 | -10 | 1 |
As Agbonlahor states, Southampton are also without a reliable source of goals, lacking a proven frontman who can win points from nothing, as the likes of Ivan Toney, Rickie Lambert, Grant Holt and Charlie Austin have previously provided for newly promoted sides.
Russell Martin needs to discover his best Southampton XI quickly
Martin made three substitutions during the interval against Bournemouth on Monday, effectively ripping up his game plan after 45 minutes.
We believe the best chance of survival will come from the 38-year-old allowing eleven players to gel together and become a solid unit, building chemistry in vital areas, such as defence and attack.
Judging by Monday’s defeat, Southampton currently look like a bunch of strangers playing together, which is not going to yield much success – especially with no proven goalscorer to bail the Saints out.
