Southampton to squeak through nervy FA Cup tie
Two of the more out of form teams in the Premier League meet at Molineux early on Thursday evening in the FA Cup fifth round, with a place in the quarter final at stake. The hosts edged both their previous games in this season's competition 1-0 against Crystal Palace and sixth tier Chorley respectively, and despite their triumph over Arsenal last week, they've yet to win two in a row since way back in October. Meanwhile, the visitors have lost four in a row, conceding an eye-watering 16 in the process. The two red cards certainly took their toll in the 9-0 shellacking at Manchester United, but weren't the full story. Nevertheless, they have weathered similar storms under Ralph Hasenhüttl, and could start their road to recovery by booking their passage in the West Midlands. Read our preview here:
Do you know the way to goal, José?
The problem for head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has been painfully obvious for all within and without the old gold club to see - replacing or replicating the influence (and goals) of Raúl Jiménez. Previously, raw 18 year old Fábio Silva has been tried and tested, but has only managed to get two in a total of 20 matches to date. There's little doubt that he could mature into being a player capable of leading the line for a mid-table Premier League outfit at some point in the near future, but that time has yet to come. This prompted a loan move for Willian José from Real Sociedad, and whilst the Brazilian possesses many of the physical qualities his injured teammate does, he's yet to convert that into something meaningful. Daniel Podence is also a doubt for the fixture, leaving Wolves ridiculously light in terms of demonstrable goal threat, especially inside the area.
Changing of the Vestergaard
Saints fans will be breathing a sigh of relief now that centre back Jannik Vestergaard is back fit. Not only is the Danish stopper crucial in patching up a very porous backline, he also is a big weapon from attacking set pieces. Having been robbed of his services in both boxes, defensive organisation took a massive hit. His manager will put out the strongest available XI, and must be cognisant that the competition now represents their only likely route to European football in 2021/2022. Takumi Minamino, who scored last time out against Newcastle United, is ineligible, which probably precipitates Nathan Redmond's rare inclusion from the outset. Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse will hold fort in the middle, allowing him and Mali international Moussa Djenepo to bomb forward more often than not. That could pose a problem for their opponents' 3-4-3, especially if the full-backs can get up on the overlap.
Dire Wolves
Nuno needs some of his more notable players to step up sooner rather than later in the prolonged and continuing absence of Jiménez. He is still joint top scorer on four, and his last vision of the onion bag bulging before succumbing to injury was in October. Whilst they're likely to find a more accommodating defence in Southampton's than they've been used to recently, they still need someone to finish off the chances they do manage to create. The visitors have a better balance in their team, and two forwards forging a potent partnership. It could go the distance. Betfair are offering odds of 2.15 for Southampton to qualify (meaning extra time or penalties count).
