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Recommended bets
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Match preview
After both clubs were embarrassingly dumped out of the FA Cup by EFL clubs this week, who will bounce back?
On Wednesday night, a pair of VAR penalties saw Grimsby Town, of the fourth-tier, beat Southampton 2-1 at St Mary’s.
Duje Ćaleta-Car did half the deficit before Theo Walcott thought he’d forced extra time, only for his goal to be ruled out for offside following another video review.
Back in the Premier League, things are looking equally bleak for the Saints, who are rock bottom of the table, four points from safety.
Rubén Sellés won his first game in charge a fortnight ago, a shock victory at Stamford Bridge, but his side were back to being diabolical again a week later, beaten 1-0 by Leeds.
With games against Man United, Brentford and Tottenham to come before the international break, this one feels simply must win for Southampton.
The Foxes were beaten 1-0 by league-leaders Arsenal a week ago, mustering an xG figure of just 0.01 which, in reality, all came from a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall pot-shot from range.
Then, on Tuesday, Brendan Rodgers’ side were dumped out the FA Cup by Blackburn, beaten 2-1, with Kelechi Ịheanachọ unable to spark a late comeback.
In better news, given that the Foxes are unbeaten in five visits to St Mary’s, notably winning 9-0 there in 2019, this could be the ideal fixture for Leicester to get back on track.
Southampton team news
Rubén Sellés rotated heavily for the mid-week cup defeat to Grimsby, but to say he doesn’t know his best XI would be an understatement.
James Ward-Prowse is one of very few guaranteed starters, probably alongside Roméo Lavia in midfield.
Fit again Kyle Walker-Peters could return at right-back in place of Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Ché Adams, who scored both when the Saints won 2-1 at the King Power in August, is out injured.
Predicted XI (4-5-1): Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Lyanco, Bella-Kotchap, Perraud; Lavia, Ward-Prowse, Elyounoussi, Armstrong; Sulemana, Onuachu.
Leicester City team news
Jamie Vardy was given a rare start on Tuesday, but is a shadow of his former self, so Kelechi Ịheanachọ will be back in the XI here.
For the Foxes at the moment, it’s very much no James Maddison equalls no goals.
Since the start of 2020/21, their league win percentage with him in the team is 46%, compared to 24% without.
Given that Maddison is a doubt, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Youri Tielemans will once again be tasked with conducting midfield.
At right-back, Ricardo Pereira started for the first time since 20 April in mid-week, following an ACL rupture, but Timothy Castagne may well return here.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Ward; Castage, Faes, Souttar, Kristiansen; Mendy, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall; Tetê, Barnes, Ịheanachọ.
Southampton vs Leicester City: Head to head statistics
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Premier League table
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