Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Southampton vs Sheffield United in the Premier League on Sunday, live on Sky Sports (kick-off 12pm).
Team news
Southampton have no fresh selection concerns ahead of Sunday's Premier League match against bottom club Sheffield United.
Forward Danny Ings marked his return off the bench following minor knee surgery with a late penalty to secure a 2-1 win at Brighton on Monday night, and could be drafted back into the starting XI.
Defender Mohammed Salisu was an unused substitute against Brighton as the Ghana centre back closes in on a belated debut following a summer switch from Real Valladolid.
- Get Sky Sports | Live football on Sky Sports
- December PL picks: All the games on Sky
- Premier League table | Premier League top scorers
- Premier League fixtures | Premier League results
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder is hoping for a triple injury boost.
Enda Stevens, Ethan Ampadu and Lys Mousset all resumed training this week and provided they come through Saturday's session unscathed, Wilder will be able to call on them at St Mary's.
Stevens has missed the last three games with a knee injury while Ampadu, on a season-long loan from Chelsea, has been carrying a hip problem for the last three weeks. Mousset has been limited to just 17 minutes of game time this season having only recently made his return from a toe injury.
How to follow
Southampton vs Sheffield United will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 11.30am on Sunday; kick-off at 12pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Free highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
Watch the Premier League live on Sky Sports
At least 146 Premier League games will be shown live on Sky Sports in the 2020/21 season. The Premier League has further increased the number of televised games this season from 200 to 231, with over half of the extra fixtures set to be shown live on Sky Sports.
Overall, Sky Sports will be showing at least 146 Premier League matches live throughout the 2020/21 season, continuing to bring you all the latest twists, turns and shocks at the home of the Premier League.
- Download the Sky Sports Scores App: Apple | Android
- The UK's No 1 scores app: Find out more
There will also be two additional midweek programmes - one will be played across the weeks commencing January 11 and 18 and the second will be in the week commencing May 10. All of these games will be broadcast live.
You can also follow the action with our dedicated live blogs on the Sky Sports website and app, and watch free match highlights from every game shortly after full-time on our digital platforms and YouTube channel.
Jones Knows prediction
I just can't enough of the Ralph Hasenhuttl factor. His all-action boys have won six of their last nine matches and talk is gathering pace for a top-six finish.
However, although it pains me to say it, their current form is unsustainable. I'm against them this weekend.
I mentioned Southampton's continued defiance of attacking performance data last weekend but that didn't stop them winning another match despite only creating a non-penalty expected goal figure of 0.67 at Brighton. In their last eight games, Hasenhuttl's boys have created chances equating to an expected goals figure of 7.3, so just under a goal a game. Yet, they have scored 18 goals in that period, no team have scored more during that time. It's a colossal overperformance.
Tight encounters are falling their way - the complete opposite can be said of Sheffield United, who suffered their eighth one-goal margin of defeat already this season against Leicester. They remain winless and the only side in English football yet to pick up an away point this season.
However, their performance against West Brom still is firmly stuck in my mind - they created enough chances to win three games that night. This game does offer them another chance to get their season moving in the right direction.
There was little between the Blades and the Saints in both meetings last season with the aggregate xG data recording a Sheffield United 3.23 vs Southampton 3.26 across the two games. Chris Wilder's men remain a tough side to break down and have only conceded one more goal than Southampton this season.
Confidence is of course an issue, but if they keep hitting the mark with the same performance metrics, their results will regress to a mean and should turn shortly. At 4/1, I'm happy to row in with an away win.
Please, forgive me Ralph.
JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 0-1 (11/1 with Sky Bet)
Opta stats
- Southampton won both Premier League meetings with Sheffield United last season - they've not won three league games in a row against the Blades since winning four consecutively against them in the second tier in 1950.
- Sheffield United have conceded exactly three goals in all three of their Premier League away games against Southampton (D1 L2), with their last top-flight victory at Saints coming in January 1992 (4-2).
- Southampton have won six of their opening 11 games in the Premier League this season - only in 2014-15 (8) have they picked up more victories in their opening 11 games of a top-flight campaign.
- Sheffield United are winless in all 11 of their Premier League games so far this season; the last side to fail to win any of their opening 12 Premier League fixtures from the start of a campaign were QPR in 2012-13 (a competition record 16 without a win). In English top-flight history, only Manchester United in 1930-31 have won as few or fewer points after 11 league games (0) as the Blades (1).
- Southampton have scored at least twice in each of their last six Premier League home games, their longest such run in the top-flight since a run of eight between February-May 1984.
- Sheffield United have lost 13 of their last 14 Premier League games (D1), scoring just six goals in this run. No side has scored fewer goals than the Blades this season (5).
Pitch to Post Preview podcast
This week on the Pitch to Post Preview Podcast, Peter Smith is joined by Sky Sports News reporters James Cooper and Ben Ransom to discuss the Manchester derby, including whether David de Gea will be dropped, why John Stones is back in the City side, and how it could all play out.
Their colleague Michael Bridge is on the line to discuss Crystal Palace vs table-toppers Tottenham, plus Sky Sports Data Editor Adam Smith has the numbers behind Arsenal's attack and Liverpool's strength in depth - as well as his Pitch for what will happen in the Premier League this weekend!
Listen to the Sky Sports Pitch to Post Podcast on: Spotify | Apple | Castbox