Preview: Southampton vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers - prediction, team news, lineups

Not long after their EFL Cup semi-final defeat, Saints suffered another league loss at the hands of Brentford; meanwhile, Wolves were the latest team to pick off an ailing Liverpool side - hauling them up to 15th place in the table.

Match preview

After a 3-0 humbling at Brentford last time out, rock-bottom Southampton have lost eight of their last nine Premier League games, with the sole exception being a win over crisis-stricken Everton.

Conceding twice just before half time against the Bees truly took the wind out of their sails, and Saints have now leaked a league-high 13 goals from crosses this season - all told, they have kept just one clean sheet in their last 27 top-flight matches.

Indeed, they have shipped at least one goal in each of their last 12 at St Mary's, with under-fire manager Nathan Jones proving unable to mend a back line he inherited from predecessor Ralph Hasenhuttl in November.

Under the former Luton Town boss, they have lost six of seven Premier League fixtures, with supporter unrest growing and some erratic media performances calling into question how long he will remain in-post at the South Coast side.

An FA Cup victory over Blackpool may have sealed progress to the fifth round, where they host Grimsby Town early next month, but between the respective reigns of Jones and Hasenhuttl, Southampton have won fewer home points than any other team in England's top four tiers this season - just six so far.

Even reaching back into the record books does not bode well for the hosts on Saturday, as they have lost each of their last three games versus Wolves on home soil. Recording a victory that could move them off the bottom rung seems a tough ask, then, against a renaissant away side.

Wolves have won their last four Premier League meetings with Southampton, and this weekend sees the Black Country club aim for five in a row against an opponent for the first time in the competition's 30-year history.

Their quest to finish ahead of Saints and ultimately avoid relegation was given an enormous boost last time out, as they shrugged off form which had seen them post just one win from seven matches in all competitions to increase Liverpool's growing misery.

While Wolves remain the lowest goalscorers in the top flight this season with 15 goals, some 20% of their total came in a 3-0 win over Jurgen Klopp's men at Molineux, with Craig Dawson and Ruben Neves netting after Joel Matip's hapless own goal.

Julen Lopetegui has certainly overseen a revival since taking charge around the same time as Jones, when his new team were bottom of the table. Now sitting 15th, they remain in danger but are five points above last-placed Saints before the clubs clash on Saturday afternoon.

Having won three of their six league games under Lopetegui - one more than they managed in 15 matches previously - Wanderers have also scored seven times since he arrived, which is just one fewer than in that first 15.

With only one of their 10 Premier League away fixtures this term ending in a win, though, the Old Gold faithful will not take three points for granted on Saturday despite their hosts' parlous state.

Southampton Premier League form:

L

L

L

W

L

L

Southampton form (all competitions):

W

L

L

W

L

L

Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League form:

W

L

D

W

L

W

Wolverhampton Wanderers form (all competitions):

D

L

W

L

L

W

Team News

After Kyle Walker-Peters missed the loss to Brentford due to a hamstring problem, both he and Stuart Armstrong (groin) are hopeful of being involved this weekend, but they are likely to make the bench at best.

January signings Kamaldeen Sulemana and Paul Onuachu were purchased with an eye on bolstering Saints' tepid front line, and the pair will join another recent arrival Croatia forward Mislav Orsic, who turned out for the Under-23s rather than the first team last week.

Therefore, Che Adams - who has registered more goals in five League Cup ties (five) than 20 Premier League appearances (four) could make way - the Scotland striker has yet to score in a top-flight home game this term.

Meanwhile, Wolves' plans for continuity after seeing off Liverpool in style are dampened by an injury sustained by Hwang Hee-chan. The winger returned to South Korea in midweek for treatment on a hamstring problem - the latest in a number of setbacks to his Wanderers career - so Adama Traore could deputise.

Hwang's fellow forward Pedro Neto has not been seen in a gold shirt since November, while Chiquinho and Sasa Kalajdzic are longer-term injury absentees.

Irish duo Nathan Collins and Joe Hodge are among those hoping for a recall by Julen Lopetegui, who may be loath to make many more changes given his team's fine display last week.

Southampton possible starting lineup:

Bazunu; Bree, Bednarek, Salisu, Perraud; Alcaraz, Diallo; Edozie, Ward-Prowse, Sulemana; Onuachu

Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Sa; Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Ait-Nouri; Nunes, Neves, Lemina; Traore, Cunha, Sarabia

We say: Southampton 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

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