Southampton continued their fine run of form on Boxing Day, as they condemned Russell Martin’s former club Swansea City to a 5-0 defeat.
The win took Southampton’s current run to 16 games unbeaten, with Martin‘s side winning their last six home games in a row; conceding just twice.
Next up for Southampton is another home game, with Plymouth Argyle the visitors on Friday evening. Argyle are 16th in the table and have won one, drawn three and lost one in their past five Championship games so they have the potential to make things difficult for a Saints side full of confidence.
Against Swansea, Martin made some surprising changes to his side. Kyle Walker-Peters was pushed forward to a right wing position in which he excelled to allow captain Jack Stephens to come in at right-back for his first start since August due to injury. This curveball was likely a ploy to negate Swansea’s preparation and their knowledge of Martin’s tactics from his time at the south Wales club.
How will Southampton line up against Plymouth Argyle?
Southampton have no fresh injury concerns following the win over Swansea, though Martin has confirmed that James Bree is likely to miss this block of games until after Norwich City on New Years Day.
Kamaldeen Sulemana remains absent following the injury he picked up against Bristol City in late November and Ross Stewart has recently been ruled out for the majority – if not all – of the season. Those injuries aside, it will be a case of a managing a squad that have endured a busy festive period and will be playing their third game in six games on Friday.
With Bree injured and Stephens unlikely to start two games in three days as he builds up his fitness, the back four is expected to consist of Walker-Peters, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jan Bednarek and Ryan Manning. Stephens said he is “happy to play anywhere” following playing right-back against Swansea but will ultimately be eyeing up a return to his favoured position in the heart of defence as his fitness improves in the coming weeks.
Martin has some decisions to make in midfield, with fatigue in this area of the pitch often the most noticeable. Flynn Downes missed the Watford game through illness and has had his minutes managed since. Stuart Armstrong and Joe Aribo started alongside Downes in midfield against Swansea, but Shea Charles missed that game through suspension and Will Smallbone came off the bench.
Aribo struggled to get into the side earlier in the season but has started the past five and had arguably his best game of the season against Swansea; scoring the opener and completing 90 minutes. Given the importance of both Downes and Stuart Armstrong, it would not be a surprise to see them start again but be replaced reasonably early depending on how the game is going.
Sam Edozie has been in fine form since returning to the forefront of Martin’s plans in recent weeks and is now Southampton’s joint second top scorer with five Championship goals so should start again. Adam Armstrong should continue up front although he could play on the right and one of Che Adams, Sékou Mara or Carlos Alcaraz could play as the focal point. Mara impressed coming on against Blackburn recently and followed this up with an assist off the bench against Swansea but is unlikely to start.
Ryan Fraser has not been as influential when starting games this season, but two goals off the bench on Boxing Day is difficult to ignore and he may have earned himself an opportunity to prove he can impact games from the beginning with his cameo against Swansea.
With all of that taken into consideration, here is how we predict Southampton will line up for the 6pm kick-off against Plymouth on Friday evening:
(4-3-3): Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning; Downes, Aribo, S. Armstrong; Sam Edozie, Adam Armstrong, Fraser