Southampton vs Aston Villa Prediction and Betting Tips

SOUTHAMPTON host Aston Villa on Friday Night Football from the Premier League. Chris Clark (@ChrisClark1975) shares his verdict.

Southampton vs Aston Villa | Friday 5th November October 2021, 20:00 | Sky Sports

There is always one club in crisis in the Premier League. That's the narrative of the Barclays.

Last weekend it was my side Tottenham Hotspur. They've finally got their house in order and I won't lie I'm giddy! The crisis club is now is Aston Villa, and in the last few weeks they've been abject, that 1-0 win at Old Trafford in late September seems like a distant memory.

Whilst there is pressure on Dean Smith to start getting results, I feel the calls on him to lose his job if they lose at St. Mary's a little harsh and premature. Villa have lost their talisman, Jack Grealish. A huge percentage of their attacking play was through the young English midfielder, and to lose that outlet causes problems throughout the team.

Grealish could not only earn free kicks up the pitch, but he could keep hold of the ball and slow down the play, allowing the Villa defence to re-organise. Villa's defence has appeared all at sea in the last few weeks, and Tyrone Mings was dropped for the visit of West Ham.

Mings was missed. He might not have been in great form, but I'm sure he wouldn't have given Michail Antonio such an easy ride and with Konsa suspended, Mings should slot straight back in. What doesn't help Villa currently is their injury list, and they will be missing the influential Douglas Luiz for their visit to Southampton.

The not so marvellous Nakamba will be at the base of the Villa midfield and that is a huge drop off in quality. That means there is more pressure on John McGinn to be that all-action midfielder again, trying to get box-to-box. McGinn gets frustrated if things don't go his, or his sides way. He has been booked in his last two outings, both sizeable defeats and the Scotsman is 13/5 to be booked on Friday night.

Most sides would be rubbing their hands with the visit of the out-of-form villains but Southampton tend not to blow sides away. They don't have the firepower. They haven't scored more than two goals in last six games (all competitions) and they've only scored nine goals in ten league games so far.

Villa will travel to St Mary's with the aim to keep things tight, and Southampton have only had 35 shots on target this season (only Newcastle, Palace and Norwich have less). I imagine the first half to be cagey, but the Premier League narrative dictates that the Villa crisis must continue and Southampton will come out on top in the second half.

Southampton have a fully-fit squad to choose from, and it might need that depth on the bench which Villa won't have that will determine the outcome of this match.