The team from the South Coast is back in the Premier League, and they were unlucky not to take anything from the season opener up north.
Newcastle suffered an early red card but still managed to score the only goal of the match, despite Southampton having 78% possession and 19 shots aimed at Nick Pope. This is something they need to learn from but also quickly forget. Southampton will score plenty of goals this year. The football they played last season showed that. However, it also highlighted their significant defensive vulnerabilities.
Russell Martin has a romantic approach to possession football. His philosophy involves creating triangles all over the pitch, keeping the ball within the team until opportunities for breakthroughs arise. This strategy is extremely effective when executed well. If they can play through a defensive line, they have a good chance of creating numerical superiority. But when it doesn’t work, it often leads to dangerous situations.
Just like last weekend against Newcastle. Despite the penalty area being reasonably crowded, the goalkeeper attempted to thread a pass to a teammate. He failed, Newcastle intercepted, and took the lead. We saw this repeatedly last season too. Even at Anfield, in the cup match against Liverpool, Southampton kept passing the ball within their own penalty area. The fact that they stick to this approach even against such strong opposition speaks to an unwavering loyalty to the system, and there’s no reason to believe they will change it now.
As for Nottingham Forest, their season opener was decent—nothing more, nothing less. They delivered an entertaining match where clumsy defending and goalkeeping led to a lead, and even more clumsy defending led to an equalizer.
The trio behind Wood is exciting. Nottingham has plenty of pace, skill, and unpredictability there. If they choose to press high against Southampton, it could lead to chances, throw-ins in dangerous positions, corners, and in the worst-case scenario, goals.
But the team that scored 87 goals in the Championship last year should also contribute to the scoring. Only Leicester scored more goals last year, and in their first home game in the Premier League, they’ll have their fans behind them. Only intense effort and attacking football will be accepted. They also showed in the season opener that they can play attractive attacking football.
So, both the balance of power and football philosophy suggest a close and entertaining match in Southampton, and the following bet should be considered:
Betting Tips
Southampton – Nottingham Forest
Both teams to score (1.72) at Betsson
