Southampton v Leicester: Expect a dearth of goalmouth action between two teams bang out of form

Evan Bartlett
21 January 2017

Ranieri's men have only taken three points on the road this season

Join

Twitter

Facebook

View the Betslip

The first televised game of Super Sunday is an intriguing affair, if only because the two teams come into it in such dreadful form. With both sides desperate for a point Evan Bartlett thinks a low-scoring draw is on the cards...

"Of the last eight league games Southampton and Leicester have been involved in, those two teams have produced just three goals. For anyone feeling particularly pessimistic about this game, odds of 10.09/1 on the 0-0 scoreline could prove attractive."

Southampton v Leicester City
Sunday 22 January, KO 12.00
Sky Sports 1

Southampton

The home side come into this one having lost four Premier League games on the bounce. While some of that can perhaps be put down to their gruelling Christmas schedule - Claude Puel's men had less rest between festive fixtures than any other Premier League club - their form will be of serious concern.

One of the most obvious reasons for this slip has been the injury to Charlie Austin. Before picking up a shoulder knock at the start of December the frontman had scored six goals in 10 league games. Since his injury the entire Southampton team has only scored six league goals.

With the creative Sofiane Boufal out injured too, the Saints look very short of attacking threat and their two most recent victories - one against an under par Liverpool in the EFL Cup and one against Norwich in the FA Cup - have both come via 1-0 scorelines.

Leicester

Where to start with Leicester? In short, their fall from grace has been caused by a leaky defence, an impotent attack and a limp midfield. Not a good combination for defending a league title.

It was inevitable that the Foxes would be unable to match the highs of last season - one of sport's most unlikely triumphs - but few would have seen it going so badly wrong. Claudio Ranieri's men have taken just three points away from home this season and have put together just two wins in their last 12 league games.

They head to St Mary's on Sunday looking for their first win on the road since beating Sunderland in April.

In fact, you have to go all the way back to Ipswich in 1962/63 to find a team of reigning champions with fewer points after 21 games.

While N'Golo Kante's dynamism in midfield has been a big loss to them, even the players they managed to keep hold of from last season look like shadows of their former selves. Jamie Vardy's threat has been blunted, Danny Drinkwater's penetrative passes are nowhere to be seen and Robert Huth and Wes Morgan's assurance at the back has been replaced by disarray.

With record signing Islam Slimani and last season's player of the year Riyad Mahrez both away on international duty with Algeria, Leicester's form hardly looks like getting better any time soon.

Match Odds

While it is perhaps understandable that Southampton come into this as favourites, it is surprising to see them so short at just 1.9110/11 on the exchange given that they've lost their last four games in the league and only just struggled through in their recent cup ties.

Vardy scored a brace in this fixture last season as the Foxes - who are out at 5.14/1 here - came back from two goals down to snatch a point.

On their current form, you get the feeling both sides would settle for a draw again and odds of 3.55 on just that happening seem a good bet.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals

Southampton have the second worst attack in the league, having scored just 19 goals in 21 games so far this season but, thanks to the form of the likes of Virgil Van Dijk, they have the eighth best defence - only Middlesbrough's games have produced fewer goals in the Premier League.

Leicester's recent games have been similarly devoid of entertainment - at least at their attacking end. The Foxes have scored just three in their last six games.

Before that run they netted four against Manchester City on one of their notorious off days this season - but, perhaps crucially, Mahrez and Slimani were directly involved with three of those goals. With those two away at the Africa Cup of Nations, the Foxes' goal scoring threat is significantly weakened.

While lots of punters clearly fancy Under 2.5 Goals - given the odds are as short as 1.674/6 - a better value bet would be Under 1.5 Goals at 2.962/1.

Of the last eight league games Southampton and Leicester have been involved in, those two teams have produced just three goals. For anyone feeling particularly pessimistic about this game, odds of 10.09/1 on the 0-0 scoreline could prove attractive.