When Southampton briefly went top of the Premier League in November following a 2-0 win over Newcastle United, few would have predicted that the Saints would have found themselves embroiled in a relegation battle just a few months later.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side started the season in impressive form, with Che Adams and Danny Ings forming a superb partnership up front, whilst James Ward-Prowse and Oriol Romeu were excelling in midfield.
The defence looked strong too, with Jannik Vestergaard in particular in sensational form, and for a few weeks, it genuinely looked like the South Coast club could challenge for a European spot this season, despite struggling so much in the first half of the previous campaign.
However, injury problems and poor form saw Hasenhuttl’s side slowly drop down the table, with the likes of Kyle Walker-Peters, Ings, Vestergaard and Romeu all missing large periods.
The Saints are currently on a woeful run of form that has seen them pick up just four points from a possible 36 in the Premier League, with the recent home defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion leaving them in real danger of relegation this season, as they are currently just seven points ahead of 18th-placed Fulham.
With the international break giving the Saints two weeks off before their next Premier League fixture, Football FanCast predicts the final table and how Southampton will do in their remaining games…
Southampton currently sit on 33 points after 29 games, with nine wins, six draws and 14 defeats to their name.
When predicting the outcome of every game between now and the end of the season, our verdict was that they will pick up three more top-flight wins before the end of the season, along with two draws and four defeats, which is more than enough to see them comfortably stay up, as shown in the graphic above.
Hasenhuttl’s side have some vital fixtures coming up against the likes of Burnley, West Brom and Crystal Palace, and if they can produce the same sort of performance as they did in the FA Cup at the weekend, then there’s no reason why they can’t finish the season strongly.
And, in other news… Forget Kuchta: Southampton can sign their Ings replacement with £6.3m-rated beast
