Two Premier League teams embroiled in a relegation battle will face off at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon when Everton play host to Southampton.
While the Saints currently sit rock bottom of the table after 18 matches played, the Toffees are only three points further ahead in 18th place.
Match preview
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Pressure continues to mount on manager Frank Lampard as his side have endured an eight-game winless run across all competitions, including last weekend's 3-1 away defeat at Manchester United in the FA Cup third round.
However, Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri has insisted in an open letter to the club's supporters that he retains the faith of Lampard, who has won only 28.6% of his matches since taking the reins at Goodison almost a year ago.
Everton's dismal form has seen them slip into the Premier League relegation zone, and two important fixtures are up next against fellow strugglers Southampton and West Ham United.
Lampard and co head into Saturday's contest after losing each of their last three home league matches; the Toffees last lost four consecutive league games at Goodison between April and September in 1958.
However, Everton are unbeaten in their last 17 home meetings against Southampton, winning 12 of those, and they recorded a 2-1 victory in their most recent encounter away against the Saints in October.
Victory for the Merseysiders this weekend will see them complete their first Premier League double over Southampton since the 2001-02 campaign.
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Like Lampard, Nathan Jones's managerial future has also been questioned following a difficult start to his tenure as Southampton boss. Indeed, the Welshman has lost all four Premier League games in charge of the Saints since his appointment in early November, with 10 goals conceded in the process.
However, Southampton appear to have turned a corner in their last two domestic cup matches, with a 2-1 FA Cup third-round win away at Crystal Palace last Saturday followed by an impressive 2-0 victory at home against Manchester City in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.
First-half strikes from Sekou Mara and Moussa Djenepo helped the Saints secure a deserved win over the Citizens at St Mary's, and a two-legged semi-final tie against Newcastle United awaits the South-Coast club later this month.
Jones has urged his team to replicate their cup form in the Premier League as they bid to preserve their top-flight status for an 11th successive season. Southampton have only won three of their 18 league games so far this season, but two of those have come on the road.
Indeed, a slender 1-0 win at Bournemouth was their most recent Premier League away win in mid-October, while their other away triumph was back in August against Leicester City, a 2-1 victory courtesy of a second-half brace from top scorer Che Adams.
Not since November 1997 have Southampton claimed all three points at Goodison Park, but a victory on Saturday would provide them with a much-needed survival boost heading into the second half of the 2022-23 campaign.
Team News
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Everton's Alex Iwobi was stretchered off with an ankle ligament injury against Man United and is ruled out for around three weeks, with the midfielder joining Michael Keane, Andros Townsend, Nathan Patterson (all knee) and James Garner (back) in the treatment room.
Abdoulaye Doucoure replaced Iwobi shortly after half time at Old Trafford and he could start in a midfield three on Saturday alongside Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin may replace Neal Maupay up front.
Lampard will likely revert to a back four with Ben Godfrey set to drop out for either Dwight McNeil or Anthony Gordon, who could join Calvert-Lewin and Demarai Gray in attack.
As for Southampton, Valentino Livramento has suffered a setback in his recovery from an ACL injury after picking up a muscle problem in his other leg shortly after returning to training with the club's B team.
Armel Bella-Kotchap, Stuart Armstrong and Juan Larios all remain on the treatment table, while Alex McCarthy and former Everton man Theo Walcott are closing in on a return to full fitness.
January addition Mislav Orsic made his Saints debut as a substitute on Wednesday and will be pushing for his first start on Saturday, while the signing of Carlos Alcaraz was announced prior to the win over Man City and the 20-year-old could make his debut against the Toffees in centre-midfield.
Adams, Romain Perraud, Sam Edozie and Mohamed Elyounoussi, who all began on the bench in midweek, will be hoping to force their way into the first XI, although Jones may be tempted to stick with the majority of the side that beat Man City.
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Coleman, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Doucoure, Gueye, Onana; McNeil, Calvert-Lewin, Gray
Southampton possible starting lineup:
Bazunu; Lyanco, Caleta-Car, Salisu, Walker-Peters; Diallo, Lavia; Djenepo, Ward-Prowse, Orsic; Adams
We say: Everton 1-1 Southampton
Neither Everton nor Southampton are likely to view Saturday's fixture as a must-win, with this relegation battle marking the halfway point for both sides in the Premier League this season.
A victory for either team here would provide them with a much-needed boost nevertheless, but we feel that the points will be shared in a closely-fought contest at Goodison Park.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
