Preview: Southampton vs. Brentford - prediction, team news, lineups

Since this article was published, this game has been called off due to a coronavirus outbreak in the Brentford squad. A new date for the game will be confirmed in due course.

Southampton will be hoping to ease fears of a potential relegation battle by claiming all three points at home against Brentford on Saturday afternoon.

The Saints picked up a point in the 2-2 draw away at Crystal Palace on Wednesday, while Brentford saw their Premier League fixture with Manchester United postponed due to COVID-19.

Match preview

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Southampton seem to have lost their spark since beating Aston Villa 1-0 on Bonfire night, as they have failed to win any of their last six Premier League matches, conceding 14 goals in the process.

After losing 3-0 against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend, the Saints returned to London for their fixture at Crystal Palace on Wednesday, however Ralph Hasenhuttl's side were unable to claim all three points in a fixture from which they would have hoped to come away victorious.

Wilfried Zaha opened the scoring in just the second minute for the hosts, before a trademark free kick from James Ward-Prowse and a long-range effort from Armando Broja turned the game on its head for the visitors in the space of four minutes midway through the first half. However, Jordan Ayew tucked away a 65th-minute equaliser from a tight angle, which forced both sides to share the spoils at Selhurst Park.

In each of Southampton's last four Premier League draws – against Burnley, Leicester City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace – they have failed to hold on to a one-goal lead, something which is sure to have frustrated Hasenhuttl.

With coronavirus-related postponements this week involving teams near the bottom of the table, Southampton have seen themselves climb one place up to 15th, six points clear of 18th-placed Burnley who have two games in hand.

Southampton head into Saturday's fixture with Brentford having only played against them once in the last decade – losing an EFL Cup tie 2-0 at St Mary's in September 2020. Securing all three points on home soil this time around will provide a much-need boost for Hasenhuttl's men before they face London duo West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in their final two games of 2021.

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Since securing promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history last season, Brentford fans have been looking forward to welcoming 20-time English top-flight champions Manchester United to the Brentford Community Stadium.

However, Bees supporters will have to wait a little longer before they lock horns with the Red Devils after Tuesday's originally schedule fixture was postponed, following a coronavirus outbreak at Old Trafford.

The Premier League Board announced that the fixture will be rearranged in due course, but in the meantime, Thomas Frank will now turn his attention to their next top-flight battle away at St Mary's, a ground they have never lost at in four previous matches.

Brentford, who currently sit 12th in the table, head to Southampton on Saturday after accumulating eight points from their last five league games, including a dramatic 2-1 victory at home against Watford last Friday night.

The Bees were seemingly heading for a slender 1-0 defeat against the Hornets, however Pontus Jansson's close-range header in the 84th minute cancelled out Emmanuel Dennis's first-half opener, before Bryan Mbeumo scored a 96th-minute winner from the penalty spot to claim their fifth league victory of the campaign.

Brentford have spent just under 13 weeks in the top half of the table so far this season – an impressive feat for a newly-promoted side – and a victory this weekend could see them climb back into the top 10 if other results were to go their way.

Team News

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Southampton will still be without goalkeepers Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster, so 40-year-old Willy Caballero is set to start his third successive game between the sticks since joining the club earlier this month.

Che Adams (hamstring) and Stuart Armstrong (calf) also remain sidelined, while Adam Armstrong is doubtful after being forced off in the defeat at Arsenal with a leg injury.

Centre-back Mohammed Salisu will likely keep his place in the first XI, though Lyanco, his partner against Palace, could be replaced by either Jan Bednarek or Jack Stephens, who were both rested in midweek.

As for Brentford, Frank has called for all Premier League fixtures to be postponed this weekend after revealing at his press conference that the Bees have four more confirmed positive tests for COVID-19, with a total of 13 players and staff now in self-isolation.

It remains to be seen which players will be absent from Saturday's game, though if fit to play, winger Sergi Canos would be in contention after serving a one-match suspension.

Talisman Ivan Toney and defender Ethan Pinnock were seemingly in contention to start against Man United after recovering from the virus, and so may be available this weekend, however David Raya, Kristoffer Ajer, Mathias Jorgensen, Julian Jeanvier, Tariqe Fosu-Henry and Josh Dasilva all remain sidelined with injuries.

Southampton possible starting lineup:
Caballero; Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Walker-Peters; Walcott, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Redmond; Tella, Broja

Brentford possible starting lineup:
Fernandez; Goode, Jansson, Pinnock; Canos, Jensen, Norgaard, Baptiste, Henry; Mbeumo, Toney

We say: Southampton 1-1 Brentford

If this fixture is to go ahead at St Mary's, both sides will seemingly have depleted squads which could result in a closely-fought contest.

Southampton will be desperate to return to winning ways but we can see the Bees battling towards a hard-earned point on the road.

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