Another crunch relegation six-pointer is heading our way as Southampton host Norwich City on Wednesday night.
The Saints are coming into this one off the back of a crucial home win over Watford on Saturday evening. Two goals in five late second-half minutes from Danny Ings and James Ward-Prowse helped the hosts to all three points - leaving them two points off safety and with Ralph Hasenhuttl's job still intact. Just.
Meanwhile, Norwich will be disappointed that they didn't get all three points in their game against Arsenal on Sunday. The Canaries led on two occasions but were twice pegged back by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and they were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw.
It's 18th vs 19th in what should be a gooden, Southampton vs Norwich, Saints vs Canaries, bad vs even worse.
Where to Watch
| When is Kick Off? | Wednesday 4 December |
| What Time is Kick Off? | 19.30 (BST) |
| Where is it Played? | St. Mary's |
| TV Channel/Live Stream | Amazon Prime |
| Referee | Kevin Friend |
Team News
Southampton midfielder Soufiane Boufal aggravated his rather unusual toe injury against Watford but he could again be named among the substitutes.
Stuart Armstrong, meanwhile, remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, but Jannik Vestergaard is fully fit after an illness.
Daniel Farke will have midfielder Alex Tettey available to him after he missed Sunday's draw with Arsenal for personal reasons.
He will, however, be without Grant Hanley and Josip Drmic who are still nursing respective groin and thigh injuries.
Predicted Lineups
| Southampton | McCarthy; Cedric, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Bertrand; Djenepo, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Redmond; Ings, Obafemi. |
| Norwich | Krul; Aarons, Zimmerman, Godfrey, Lewis; Tettey, Trybull; Cantwell, McClean, Buendia; Pukki. |
Head to Head Record
These two have met 127 times in history - Southampton coming out on top on 49 of them and Norwich winning 40 of the meetings.
The last clash between the pair came in an FA Cup tie back in January 2017 - the Saints winning a third-round replay 1-0 at St. Mary's after they had drawn 2-2 at Carrow Road a couple of weeks prior.
Their last encounter in the top-flight was almost exactly a year before that FA Cup tie. On that occasion, it was the Canaries who were victorious as they won 1-0, although they would be relegated a few months later.
Recent Form
Both sides have gained a new lease of life since the November international break, both picking up four points in their last two outings.
Wednesday's hosts picked up a potential season-turning result on the weekend as they came from behind late on to overcome bottom of the table Watford
The in-form man at the moment for Hasenhuttl's side is Danny Ings
Norwich, however, will be confident of getting a result in this one as well. Farke's side have looked good in their past two games, bouncing back impressively from their dismal 2-0 home defeat to Watford before the break to beat Everton
Todd Cantwell's form and Teemu Pukki's return to the scoresheet will certainly give the travelling Canary fans hope that their side can come away from the South Coast with all three points.
Here's how both have fared in their last five outings.
| Southampton | Norwich |
| Southampton 2-1 Watford (30/11) | Norwich 2-2 Arsenal (1/12) |
| Arsenal 2-2 Southampton (23/11) | Everton 0-2 Norwich (23/11) |
| Southampton 1-2 Everton (9/11) | Norwich 0-2 Watford (8/11) |
| Manchester City 2-1 Southampton (2/11) | Brighton 2-0 Norwich (2/11) |
| Manchester City 3-1 Southampton (29/10) | Norwich 1-3 Manchester United (27/10) |
Prediction
A nervy encounter is expected on Wednesday night with neither side certainly not wanting to lose.
But
The return of Moussa Djenepo from injury has been a real plus for the Saints as he's looked a threat every time he's put on a Southampton shirt. Expect him to play a huge role in this one, as well as Ings, who'll be looking to continue his fine form in front of goal.
Overall, the Saints are in a false position in the league with the talent they have in their squad and their fantastic coach. Before Christmas, they face Newcastle, West Ham and Aston Villa, so they should start to surge up to a position that reflects their personnel.
Prediction: Southampton 2-1 Norwich
Source: 90min
