Check out our in-depth match preview as Southampton prepare to take on West Brom in the Premier League.
What’s at stake?
After a disappointing result against Tottenham Hotspur at St Mary’s in just their second league defeat of the season at home, Southampton will look to bounce back against West Brom.
Claude Puel’s men currently sit 8th in the Premier League, one point and one place above their opponents this weekend.
The Baggies have been in the top ten since early November, but have suffered two defeats in their last two away outings against Arsenal and Chelsea respectively – both by one-goal margins.
Team news
Southampton: Nathan Redmond will be missing through suspension for Claude Puel’s side after he was dismissed against Tottenham.
Midfielder Jordy Clasie continues to recover from his groin problem and is unlikely to feature, while long-term absentees Charlie Austin, Matt Targett and Alex McCarthy remain sidelined.
West Brom: Jonny Evans returned from his injury in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal and he will be assessed ahead of the New Year’s Eve.
Form guide
Southampton’s last five:
Tottenham Hotspur (h) L 4-1
Bournemouth (a) W 3-1
Stoke (a) D 0-0
Middlesbrough (h) W 1-0
Hapoel Be’er Sheva (h) D 1-1 (Europa League)
West Brom’s last five:
Arsenal (a) L 1-0
Manchester United (h) L 2-0
Swansea (h) W 3-1
Chelsea (a) L 1-0
Watford (h) W 3-1
Top performers
Virgil van Dijk added another goal to what has been an impressive season so far from the Dutch international.
His powerful header was not enough to set up a victory against Tottenham Hotspur, but he will be hoping to help Saints get back to their solid foundations against West Brom.
Top scorers: Charlie Austin (9), Jay Rodriguez (4), Nathan Redmond, Virgil van Dijk (3)
Most assists: James Ward-Prowse (3), Steven Davis (2)
Salomón Rondón now has 16 goals in the Premier League since the start of last season, which is 11 more than any other West Brom player. The integral role the Venezuelan forward plays was further outlined by his recent hat-trick of headers against Swansea City, becoming the only player to do so since 1997.
Matt Phillips has also been key in the current campaign after his summer arrival from QPR, contributing three goals and five assists.
Top scorers: Salomón Rondón (7), Nacer Chadli (4), Matt Phillips, Gareth McAuley (3)
Most assists: Matt Phillips (5), Chris Brunt (3), Salomón Rondón, Nacer Chadli (2)
Previous Meetings
All-time record:
Played: 74
Southampton: 27
Draws: 24
West Brom: 23
Last five meetings:
January 2016: Southampton 3-0 West Brom (Ward-Prowse 2, Tadić)
September 2015: West Brom 0-0 Southampton
February 2015: West Brom 1-0 Southampton
August 2014: Southampton 0-0 West Brom
January 2014: Southampton 1-0 West Brom (Lallana)
Did you know?
Only once in 12 previous Premier League games between these two have both teams scored - a 2-2 draw contested by Steve Wigley's Saints and Frank Burrows' West Brom.
Virgil van Dijk’s goal was the fourth quickest in the Premier League (1:09), with Southampton also scoring the third quickest.
Not at the game?
Tickets for the match are sold out, although you can still check the Ticket Exchange to see if any seats become available.
If you can’t make it, we will have our in-depth live match centre running on southamptonfc.com, while you can also keep up-to-date on our social channels:
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