Manchester United travel to St Mary's on Sunday hoping to beat a stuttering Southampton side and keep pace with Premier League leaders Manchester City in the process.
With just one victory from five, Ronald Koeman's men will be keen to register a morale-boosting win and set off on the road to prove that they are not a one-season wonder.
Southampton
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Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho will clash at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but it is not the only managerial feud poised to resurface this weekend as Dutch rivals Koeman and Louis van Gaal renew hostilities this Sunday.
The tension dates back to their time at Ajax earlier in the century, when coach Koeman accused technical director Van Gaal of interfering with his team. Suggestions of the hatchet being buried then seemed false when the Southampton boss revealed that his United counterpart twice snubbed a post-match glass of wine last season.
It was a case of honours even last term as both managers recorded one victory apiece, but Southampton - who won 1-0 at Old Trafford earlier this year - have a big task in order to follow up that win at St Mary's on Sunday after what has proven an indifferent start for the Saints thus far.
This time last year, Koeman, in his first season on the South Coast, lifted Southampton up to second in the table with 10 points from a possible 15. Fast forward 12 months and the Dutchman's side now sit 11th with six points. Having flirted with Champions League qualification for so long last time around, second-season syndrome was a perceived risk for them and, in truth, that risk is becoming more real every week.
They kicked off the 2015-16 season with a 2-2 draw with Newcastle, before Everton thumped them 3-0 at St Mary's. A 0-0 draw away to newly-promoted Watford followed, with the Saints then finally getting off the mark with a 3-0 win over Norwich City.
It proved a false down of sorts, however, as another 0-0 stalemate at West Bromwich Albion followed after the international break. Koeman's side are yet to suggest that their hugely encouraging 2014-15 campaign was anything other than a fluke, but a win over the Red Devils and old enemy Van Gaal may be the kick-start that they need.
Recent form: DLDWD
Recent form (all competitions): LDDLWD
Manchester United
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It is not beyond the realms of possibility that third-placed Manchester United will be eight points behind City by the time their clash with Southampton gets underway on Sunday. Only a win will do for Van Gaal and co.
Having successfully returned to the Champions League, a title challenge is now a must for the Red Devils, but if their early-season results are anything to go by then inconsistency may undermine them for the second campaign in succession.
Van Gaal's men were solid if unspectacular in their opening two games, with Kyle Walker's own goal enough to give them a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in the Premier League curtain-raiser, before Adnan Januzaj's deflected effort downed Villa by the same scoreline six days later.
The wheels began to come loose, however, as Newcastle United battled to a 0-0 draw at the Theatre of Dreams, before in-form Swansea City beat them 2-1 in South Wales to remind the Dutch coach that there is work to be done if his side are to challenge for the title.
United bounced back with last weekend's 3-1 win over Liverpool, in a game that saw £36m man Anthony Martial come off the bench to add a third goal. At the other end of the field, David de Gea was back between the sticks following his botched Real Madrid move and all seemed well with the 20-time English champions once more.
The feel-good factor will have been significantly dampened by events at PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday, however. United's 2-1 defeat on their return to the Champions League proper was hardly in the script, but it was Luke Shaw's horrific leg break, in two places, which will have the bigger knock-on effect for their season, such was the 20-year-old's form. The route to a 21st league title just got much more treacherous.
Recent form: WWDLW
Recent form (all competitions): WDWLWL
Team News
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Daley Blind could come in at left-back for the stricken Shaw, who underwent a second operation in Eindhoven following his horror injury on Tuesday.
Captain and striker Wayne Rooney, who has sat out United's last two outings, is fit again and he could displace Anthony Martial, who started at PSV.
Centre-back Phil Jones is nearing a return to fitness, but Sunday comes too soon for the England international.
Sadio Mane, who was linked with a move to Old Trafford, could return to Southampton's wing after dropping to the bench for the draw at Albion last week.
Jordy Clasie and Ryan Bertrand are progressing well from injury, but the pair remain a couple of weeks away from selection.
Southampton possible starting lineup:
Stekelenburg; Soares, Fonte, van Dijk, Targett; Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, S. Davis, Mane, Tadic; Pelle
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Darmian, Smalling, Rojo, Blind; Carrick, Schneiderlin; Mata, Herrera, Memphis; Rooney
Head To Head
It has been 19 years since Southampton recorded back-to-back victories over Manchester United, with a 6-3 win at The Dell in October 1996 - during which the visitors famously changed their grey strip at half time - following a 3-1 victory the previous April.
Ominously, United have won six of their last seven visits to the Saints - including two FA Cup wins in 2009 and 2011 respectively. Overall, Southampton have won just three of the last 18 meetings in all competitions.
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Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:
We say: Southampton 1-2 Manchester United
As inconsistent as Southampton have been early doors, the visit of United might be just what the doctor ordered as they bid to kick-start their stuttering season. That being said, the Red Devils will be on a high after beating Liverpool, despite their midweek setback, and we reckon that Van Gaal will one-up Koeman with a narrow win.
Shane Callaghan
