Southampton vs. Everton: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

This game should produce a couple of goals at least, with four of Southampton's last five game having seen both sides find the back of the net, while three of Everton's last five have seen BTTS occur.

Three of Everton's last five games have been a draw, while Southampton are yet to win a game in the Premier League, so this one should be a fairly close encounter.

These two sides locked horns at Goodison Park in the League Cup a month ago with game ending 1-1, and we think this encounter should follow a very similar dynamic. Southampton 1-1 Everton.

Two sides in difficult positions lock horns in the Premier League this weekend as Southampton and Everton will face off on the South Coast.

• Date: 02/11/2024
• Kick-off time: 15:00
• Location: St. Mary's Stadium, Southampton

Southampton's return to the Premier League after a successful campaign in the Championship has been anything but smooth, with the Saints boasting just one point from nine matches, meaning they're currently rooted to the bottom of the table. Pressure is mounting on manager Russell Martin with Southampton's style of play, a carefully structured approach that focuses on deep, possession-based buildup, proving very difficult to deploy in the Premier League, despite having served them well in the Championship.

Russell Martin’s approach, while admirable for its ambition, appears increasingly risky in an environment where mistakes are routinely punished, and this is evidenced by the fact Southampton have conceded 19 goals in nine games, the third-worst defensive record in the league. The problem is compounded by the relative inexperience of their squad at this level, with the squad short on proven top level quality, and while Martin’s tactical consistency reflects his belief in his team’s ability to execute this style, the results have not justified the approach thus far, and the Saints are running out of time to turn things around.

Martin’s reluctance to modify his tactics, despite the mounting losses, has not gone unnoticed by fans and pundits. Martin believes that a change in approach would mean his squad loses respect for him, but with the path they're currently on, they're likely going to lose confidence in his methods. Martin has said he's fully committed to his vision of structured possession play, seeing it as a long-term project rather than a short-term fix. In the Championship, this style allowed Southampton to control games, maintain dominance over weaker teams, and ultimately secure promotion. However, the Premier League demands more adaptability, and Martin’s resistance to adjust his strategy may end up costing him his position if results do not improve.

This weekend's game against Everton could be critical in determining whether Martin stays in charge. Southampton are yet to win a match, and patience for three points is running thin amongst the fan base. If they're to stay in the Premier League, they simply have to win games like this, so another defeat here could spell the end of the club's confidence in Martin.

On the other side of the pitch, Everton’s season has been more positive than Southampton's, but the dissatisfaction amongst the fanbase is arguably stronger. They currently sit 16th in the table with nine points from nine games, far from comfortable but not yet in full-blown crisis mode, but their start to the season has been hugely frustrating for supporters, with many unhappy with the team's style of play and their general competitiveness.

This comes despite manager Sean Dyche leading his team to improvements in recent weeks, and it feels as though the fan's expectations are slightly high given the team is sorely lacking in top-level quality. Player for player, Everton’s squad is one of the weakest in the league, with financial constraints limiting what Everton could do in the summer transfer market. The Toffees’ lack of resources has been an ongoing issue, leaving Dyche with a limited pool of talent to draw upon, but with new owners now at the helm, there is a hope that Everton will start to add significant quality to their squad in the next few transfer windows. Whether Dyche is there to see the benefits of that remains to be seen, though.

If Everton lose against bottom-placed Southampton, the calls for Dyche’s departure are likely to intensify. The Toffees are on an unbeaten run but so much more is expected of the team than is currently being given, and three points here would really relieve the pressure for another week at least.

This game will not be televised live in the UK, but partial radio coverage will be provided by BBC Radio Merseyside.

Southampton Team News:

Southampton will once again be without Ryan Fraser, who is unavailable through suspension, while Gavin Bazunu, Ross Stewart and Will Smallbone are all out injured on the sidelines.

The Saints could revert to four at the back after deploying a back five at the Etihad, with Joe Aribo potentially coming in for Jack Stephens.

Predicted lineup: Ramsdale; Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Walker-Peters; Dibling, Lallana, Downes, Aribo, Fernandes; Archer.

Everton Team News:

The Toffees could be without Dwight McNeil for this game, who came off the pitch injured last weekend, in what would be a huge blow.

If unfit, McNeil would join Tim Iroegbunam, James Garner, Armando Broja and Youssef Chermiti on the sidelines.

Predicted lineup: Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Doucouré, Gueye; Harrison, Ndiaye, Lindstrøm; Beto.

Southampton are coming into this game having won one and lost four of their last five games. Their win came in their latest game, a home game against Stoke City in the League Cup, but it was fairly hard-fought, with James Bree scoring an 88th-minute winner to secure a 3-2 win after Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Adam Armstrong having given them a 2-0 lead in the first half.

Prior to that, Southampton lost 1-0 at the Etihad, without really putting up too much of a fight, despite the closeness of the scoreline.

That game followed a 2-3 defeat at home to Leicester City, where despite racing to a 2-0 lead they eventually fell to what was a crushing defeat, with the winner coming deep into injury time.

Those results followed successive 3-1 losses against Arsenal and Bournemouth.

Everton are currently on a five-match unbeaten run, with their latest game a 1-1 draw at home to Fulham. The game against Fulham was a fairly poor performance by Everton, but they huffed and puffed and in the 94th minute, substitute Beto headed in an equaliser to secure a point.

Before that, the Toffees won 2-0 away at Ipswich Town, with Iliman Ndiaye and Michael Keane securing a comfortable win.

That result was preceded by a 0-0 draw at home to Newcastle United, which followed a 2-1 win over Cyrstal Palace, where a Dwight McNeil brace secured the three points.

Those results came after a 1-1 draw against Everton, where despite going 1-0 up thanks to Iliman Ndiaye, they were forced to settle for a point.

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