Southampton will welcome fellow strugglers Watford to St Mary's in the Premier League on Saturday evening with both teams desperate for all three points.
Watford are currently bottom of the table with just eight points from their 13 matches, while Southampton sit just one spot above the Hornets with just one more point.
Match preview
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Two wins, three draws and eight defeats - that is how Southampton have performed in the Premier League this season. A total of nine points has left them in 19th position in the table, just one point ahead of Watford.
There is simply no downplaying the importance of this weekend's contest; a defeat for either would not be terminal as West Ham United in 17th only have 13 points, but there is no question that confidence would be impacted if one of these two sides were to lose the relegation six-pointer.
The Saints have not actually won a match since overcoming rivals Portsmouth in the EFL Cup on September 24, while they have not been victorious in the Premier League since beating Sheffield United on September 14.
Ralph Hasenhuttl's side suffered four straight defeats between October 25 and November 9 - including a 9-0 loss at Leicester City at the end of last month. That said, they will enter this clash off the back of an impressive 2-2 draw at Arsenal in the Premier League last weekend.
Southampton are also unbeaten in their last four meetings with Watford in all competitions, although the last three clashes between the two sides in the Premier League have all ended in draws.
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Watford finished 11th in the Premier League last season in addition to reaching the FA Cup final, but it does appear that the 2019-20 campaign will be very tough for the London club.
Indeed, a record of one win, five draws and seven defeats from 13 Premier League matches has left them bottom of the table with eight points, five points off the safety of 17th position.
Quique Sanchez Flores's job as head coach is believed to be safe for the moment, but Watford chiefs might be forced into a decision should the team suffer another poor result in Saturday's late start.
The Hornets did manage to pick up an impressive three points earlier this month - winning 2-0 at Norwich - but the capital side lost 3-0 at home to Burnley last weekend as they took another couple of steps back.
A tough festive period will see Watford take on the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, while their next game after this one is away to high-flying Leicester City, which is another indication of the importance of this weekend's clash on the South Coast.
Southampton form: LDLLLD
Watford form: DDDLWL
Team News
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Southampton will be without the services of midfielder Stuart Armstrong due to a hamstring injury, while Sofiane Boufal is also unlikely to feature due to a toe problem.
Jannik Vestergaard's recent struggles with illness means that the centre-back is also unlikely to play a part, but Moussa Djenepo could make his return from a tendon issue in Saturday's clash.
Danny Ings will again lead the line for the Saints, while Michael Obafemi could also keep his spot having put in an energetic performance at the Emirates Stadium.
Watford's position at the foot of the table has not been helped by a lengthy injury list, with the likes of Craig Dawson, Christian Kabasele and Daryl Janmaat all unavailable this weekend.
Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck and Sebastian Prodl are also still out, but Daniel Bachmann and Domingos Quina have both trained ahead of the clash and could be involved in some capacity.
Troy Deeney and Roberto Pereyra have also both trained in the build-up to the match, although Sanchez seemed to suggest during Thursday's press conference that neither would be ready to start against the Saints.
As a result, Ismaila Sarr could be given the nod alongside Andre Gray and Gerard Deulofeu in the final third with Will Hughes taking up a deeper position.
Southampton possible starting lineup: McCarthy; Cedric, Bednarek, Stephens, Bertrand; Djenepo, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Redmond; Ings, Obafemi
Watford possible starting lineup: Foster; Kiko, Cathcart, Mariappa, Holebas; Capoue, Doucoure, Hughes; Deulofeu, Gray, Sarr
We say: Southampton 2-1 Watford
Southampton were excellent against Arsenal last time out and on another day would have collected all three points. Watford have actually picked up four points from their last two Premier League away games, but we fancy Hasenhuttl's side to record a huge win in front of their own supporters.
Matt Law
