Aston Villa continue their push to secure a top 5 Premier League spot as they face already relegated Southampton this Saturday.
This fixture against Southampton arrives in the middle of Aston Villa Champions League quarter-final defeat against Paris Saint-Germain. Nuno Mendes’ stoppage-time goal means the Villans have a 3-1 deficit to make up on home soil next week.
Unai Emery will undoubtedly prioritise Tuesday’s second leg, but domestic points are important too. Three consecutive league wins has left Villa seventh in the table and just two points off Newcastle in fifth place.
Meanwhile, the Saints had their inevitable fate confirmed last weekend. Southampton secured the earliest relegation in Premier League history following a 3-1 defeat to Spurs, and they still require two points from their final seven games to avoid being regarded as the worst team in the competition’s history.
As Ivan Juric departs, Simon Rusk and Adam Lallana will take temporary charge of the club.
Below is Mainwap’s breakdown of the Meeting
Match Details
- Date: Saturday 12 April
- Kick-off Time: 15:00 BST / 10:00 ET / 07:00 PT
- Location: Southampton, England
- Stadium: St. Mary’s Stadium
- Referee: Tom Bramall
- VAR: Tim Robinson
Southampton vs Aston Villa h2h records (last 5 games)
Southampton: 1 win
Aston Villa: 4 wins
Draws: 0
Last EPL meeting: Aston Villa 1-0 Southampton (7 December 2024)
Southampton team news
Rusk was briefly at the helm after Russell Martin’s exit in December, and the interim boss will likely stick with the back three Juric deployed for much of his forgettable tenure.
Flynn Downes is still suspended for the hosts but will return next week, while January addition Albert Gronbaek is suffering a tendon injury. Ryan Fraser is also likely to miss the clash.
Aston Villa team news
Villa have improved on the injury front in recent weeks, and Ross Barkley was able to return to Emery’s bench in Paris after spending a period on the sidelines due to a knee issue.
With Barkley back, the visitors’ sole concern is Leon Bailey. The winger is nursing a minor knock and could feature today.
The Villans are gunning for a top-five Premier League finish, but Southampton’s woes mean Emery should be able to rotate handily ahead of next week’s second leg. Ian Maatsen, Axel Disasi, Amadou Onana, Donyell Malen, Marco Asensio, and Ollie Watkins are among the players who didn’t start in Paris but could find themselves in Saturday’s starting XI.
Southampton vs Aston Villa score prediction
Rusk was able to get a tune out of this Saints side during his interim spell at the end of 2024, but the returning temporary boss is no miracle-worker.
Some might say Southampton’s confirmed relegation will allow them to play with boldness, but that was never the issue for the south coasters this season. They’re simply way out of their depth. Villa may have one eye focused on PSG’s visit next week, but that’s all they’re going to need to win away from home this weekend.
Prediction: Southampton 1-2 Aston Villa
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