Southampton will be aiming to crank up the pressure on the frontrunners as they welcome Plymouth Argyle to St Mary’s Stadium for a Championship fixture on Saturday. The Saints have been in good form in recent weeks and should have too much for Plymouth who have been out of sorts lately.
Southampton were in rampant mood last time out as they claimed a 5-0 victory against Swansea City in their previous Premier League fixture. Ryan Fraser netted a brace while Joe Aribo, Samuel Edozie and Che Adams were also on target.
That result means Southampton have now won their last three fixtures and are also on a 16 match unbeaten run. Given other Boxing Day results, the Saints have jumped to third on the standings and are now just six points off the automatic promotion places.
St Mary’ Stadium has been a fortress all season for Southampton, who are unbeaten in their last eight matches. Russell Martin’s men have claimed seven wins in that run while also keeping clean sheets in the last four fixtures in front of their fans.
Plymouth Argyle travel to St Mary’s Stadium off the back of a 2-2 draw with Cardiff City last time out in the Premier League. They took an early lead but eventually had to come from behind you earn the point with Morgan Whittaker netting a brace.
The Pilgrims are currently in the bottom half of the table having picked up one win from their last five matches. However, Kevin Nancekivell’s men have also been plagued by too many draws having been held three times in that run.
While the result at Cardiff was Plymouth Argyle’s second straight draw on their travels, their overall record away from home has been abysmal. They have failed to win any fixture on the road this season and had suffered three straight defeats prior to the last two draws.
How the bookies view it
Southampton are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a home win priced at 4/12 by Betfred. An unlikely victory for Plymouth Argyle is valued at 15/2 by Coral while a draw is valued at odds of 9/2 with bet365.
Head to head
Southampton have a 4-3 advantage with four draws from 11 previous matches against Plymouth Argyle. The Saints have already beaten Plymouth this season as they claimed a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in August.
Player to watch
Adam Armstrong has been on a mini goal drought in recent weeks but remains the leading scorer for Southampton with 12 goals. The striker will be keen to end his dry spell and is priced at 21/20 by Betfred to get on the score sheet on Saturday.
Southampton’s recent form has been driven by a solid backline that has kept clean sheets in their last four home matches. Jan Bednarek has been pivotal at the heart of the defence and can lead the Saints to another clean sheet at 11/8 with BoyleSports.
Anything else catch the eye?
Southampton have won to nil in their last four home matches and could be set for a similar outcome at 17/10 with Unibet. Having scored four and five goals respectively in their last two matches, a -1 handicap could also be considered at 19/20 with Unibet.
The Saints have scored in both halves in their last two home matches and Saturday’s clash could be set to follow a similar pattern at 5/6 with Paddy Power.
This England Championship match between Southampton and Plymouth Argyle will be played on Dec 29, 2023 and kick off at 18:00. Check below for our tipsters best Southampton vs Plymouth Argyle prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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