Brentford and Southampton are locked on 40 points in the Premier League table as they prepare to do battle at the Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Fourteenth-place Brentford and fifteenth-place Southampton are two of three teams with 40 points to their name, alongside thirteenth-place Aston Villa.
Into a new week. 🔜 #BrentfordFC pic.twitter.com/C3l093RHgy— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) May 2, 2022
Into a new week. 🔜 #BrentfordFC pic.twitter.com/C3l093RHgy
Although they sit eight points outside the relegation zone with three games remaining, they are not mathematically safe from relegation.
Brentford head into Saturday’s clash on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United, despite racking up 12 shots at Old Trafford.
Having claimed three straight wins over Chelsea (4-1), West Ham (2-0) and Watford (2-1), along with a goalless draw against Spurs, the Bees were enjoying a four-game unbeaten run before Monday’s loss.
Still, Thomas Frank’s men can take confidence from the fact that they have only suffered two defeats in their past eight Premier League outings.
Given that each of Brentford’s last five home games have produced under 2.5 goals, Saturday’s clash is likely to be a low-scoring affair.
On the flip side, Southampton were beaten 2-1 by Crystal Palace last time out – meaning they have failed to win any of their last three outings.
When you look at the bigger picture, the Saints have only managed to win one of their previous nine Premier League games – recording two draws and six losses along the way.
Only three sides – Norwich City, Watford and Leeds United – have conceded more Premier League goals than Southampton’s 58 this season.
It is also worth pointing out that Southampton have managed to win just four of their past 30 Premier League away games.
Head-to-head: Southampton thrashed Brentford 4-1 in the reverse fixture back in January, scoring twice in either half.
That said, the recent head-to-head record in this fixture is even. Both sides have won two of the previous six meetings, while the other two encounters ended in a draw.
Team news: Brentford look set to be without Ethan Pinnock, Sergi Canos, Frank Onyeka, Mathias Jorgensen and Saman Ghoddas through injury this weekend.
Tino Livramento is Southampton’s sole injury absentee. The young full-back isn’t likely to return for several months after suffering a serious knee injury.
Both sides will be eager to avoid defeat on Saturday, given that they are not mathematically safe from relegation.
For that reason, Forebet predicts that Brentford and Southampton will play out a low-scoring draw and share the points.