Fifth-place Southampton welcome Manchester United to St. Mary's on Sunday afternoon in the unusual position of being well clear of the Red Devils in the standings on the cusp of December. It has been a remarkable turnaround under manager Ralph Hasenhüttl in the space of a year, but he will be keenly aware that despite the visitors' erratic form, they have been spotless on the road this season. An intriguing clash is finely balanced. Read our preview here:

Che leads the revolution

Ordinarily, the loss of a player as influential to the team as Danny Ings would be a hammer blow to the Saints, and whilst it is obviously an absence that is felt, the squad has been able to cope admirably under the circumstances. Theo Walcott and Che Adams have bonded well as a strike partnership, and whilst neither of the pair is the best passer of a football, they've been able to benefit from the agility and intelligent movement they both possess, as well as the well-balanced midfield behind them. Adams in particular is thriving in only his second season in the top flight, and has three goals to his name thus far. The fairly standard 4-4-2 formation is complemented well by both the personnel within it, and the transition from recycling possession amongst the backline and Oriol Romeu, who can drop in to form a passing triangle option, to very quick passages of play as the ball is worked up the field. This definitely has the potential to cause issues for Fred and Scott McTominay, as neither of whom are renowned for their interceptions ahead of their own box.

A rod for Axel

Ole Gunnar Solskjær will have to contend with some absentees of his own - Paul Pogba remains a doubt for the game, but many fans would argue that the team plays better without his presence. Bruno Fernandes continues to excel in his role behind the main striker, but the manager will want greater contributions from Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood if they are to retain their places in the XI. Further back, Harry Maguire is likely to be joined by Axel Tuanzebe. Whilst the latter is perhaps not the most accomplished of defenders, he can get out of awkward situations with his range of passing, and this might be vital to hold onto one point or three for the visitors. The key for him is to not dwell too long in possession - Southampton do have the players to capitalise on that.

Saintly parity

Whilst it is still relatively early days in the Premier League, Southampton are just three points from the summit, and are where they are on merit. United do have a game in hand, but even if they were to win on Sunday, they'd still be behind their opponents. That tells one of the many intriguing stories of the campaign to date, and they might have to perversely rely on their away record to keep in touch with the European spots, shorn of the massed ranks in the crowd at home. bet365 are offering extremely generous odds of 3.50 for a draw.