Southampton team will come out as the favorite in a match of the Premier League for the first time this season. The hosts are already a bit far from the relegation zone and even have a game in hand. Victory in this game can pull up Southampton up to three positions in the table and no doubt the team will strive for the three pointd. Their opponent in this game has just one point more in the standings and this makes them a direct competitor in the battle to stay in the league.
Sunderland is in a relatively poor shape right now. A big problem for the manager of the team is the injury of the primary scorer Steven Fletcher. His participation in this match is in serious question, and even if he plays, his back injury will definitely be a serious problem for him showing his best. What is more, Sunderland players do not perform convincingly in their away games as from the last 16 away games they have only one win. That single victory was against the team of Fulham, who played for most of the time in the match with a man less.
However, given the fierce battle for every point in this league, the visiting team will certainly give its maximum at least to reach to a draw. On the other hand, players of Southampton are not in bad shape and things look good for them. Better motivation could lead to eventual victory which will provide comfort to players for the upcoming Christmas and New Year clashes in the League. At home games the team of Southampton playes relatively cautious as in the last four of them the result was under 2.5 goals. In this match, however, it is possible for the players to come out more aggressive and with a serious ambition for success.