Southcoast rivals Southampton and Brighton find themselves level on points heading into their Monday night fixture. Southampton have taken four points from 12 with their only win coming just before the international break against Crystal Palace.
It was the Saints most impressive performance yet as they held the Eagles to a 2-0 scoreline. Brighton secured their only win against Manchester United in week 2 of the Premier League season. The Seagulls suffered a defeat at Liverpool followed by a draw with Fulham. Despite dropping points in both matches, Brighton showed promise. Chris Hughton’s side may be ready to distance themselves from the bottom of the table.
Brighton have not fared well against Southampton in their last six meetings. They have secured just one win during that time with Southampton coming away victorious in three out of six matches. The clubs met two times last term in the league.>
The pair drew both Premier League games with 1-1 scorelines. The clubs have already met once this season as well thanks to the EFL Cup. Southampton won their meeting 1-0 as striker Charlie Austin scored an 88th minute winner.
Defensively, Hughton has seen his Seagulls struggle thus far. Brighton have allowed two goals in three of their four matches. The team has allowed seven goals altogether for a –2-goal difference. Brighton play on the back foot and their 41.1 percent possession stat proves Hughton’s side will not spend large chunks of the game with the ball.
Thirty-four-year-old striker Glenn Murray leads the team in goals with three. Brighton’s reliance on an ageing hitman maybe the exact thing that does them in this season. They have shown promise, but a relegation scrap looks more likely than a comfortable mid-table finish.
The bad news for Southampton coming into Monday night’s match is their home form. Southampton have failed to win 12 of their last 13 Premier League matches at St. Mary’s Stadium. This season has already seen the team draw at home to Burnley before losing to Leicester. Hughes has to find a way to get the Saints to win at home, if Southampton want to avoid another season flirting with relegation.
On loan Liverpool striker Danny Ings has improved Southampton’s attack. The striker has tallied two goals from three starts. Despite his strikes, Southampton have only scored four goals from four games. They average 16 shots per match, but finding the back of the net has been elusive. The good news is Southampton have won back to back games in all competitions.
Southampton will start well against Brighton, but the Seagulls will find a way to snatch an important point. With both clubs struggling to find goal scoring form, Southampton and Brighton will finish in a draw on Monday.