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This is a tale of two managers chasing a maiden Premier League victory. Ronald Koeman’s Southampton lost out narrowly last weekend to Liverpool, while West Brom manager Alan Irvine will have been disappointed to have conceded a late equaliser against Sunderland having come from behind to lead. Both look set to be slugging it out in that sizeable yet precarious chasm between the top half and the relegation zone, and a win for either here would provide a welcome slice of one-upmanship.
Going by Southampton’s performance last weekend, the summer exodus from St. Mary’s doesn’t look quite as damaging as everyone had predicted. Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama shone in the middle of the park, while new signing Dusan Tadic produced a delightful back-heeled assist for Nathaniel Clyne’s equaliser.
Shane Long will be facing his former club, but the Baggies won’t be bemoaning his absence if Saido Berahino can build on his opening-day brace. A move for the Greek striker Georgios Samaras has also been completed. When you factor in Stephane Sessegnon and club record signing Brown Ideye, who are both nearing match fitness, West Brom look to have options aplenty up top.
KICK-OFF: Saturday, 3pm
PAST THREE MEETINGS…
Southampton 1 (Lallana) West Brom 0, Premier League, January 2014
West Brom 0 Southampton 1 (Lambert), Premier League, August 2013
Southampton 0 West Brom 3 (Fortune, Lukaku, Long), Premier League, April 2013
Saido Berahino celebrates last weekend
STATS…
West Brom have only won away at Southampton four times since their first meeting in 1900.
The sides have an even record in their Premier League encounters, both with three wins and two draws.
Southampton drew their opening home match of last season, while West Brom drew their opening away fixture.
Shane Long score 19 goals in his two and a half season spell at West Brom.
Show all 127 1 /127Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Shane Long curls in Southampton's fifth goal
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Shane Long added a fourth for Southampton
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Mane scores his third to net the fastest ever Premier League hat-trick
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Mane scores his second to double Southampton's lead
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Sadio Mane celebrates netting the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 2 Southampton 1 Jordi Gomez celebrates scoring his second penalty for Sunderland
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 2 Southampton 1 Sadio Mane scores for Southampton
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures gomez1.jpg Jordi Gomez scores his first from the penalty spot
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Tottenham left-back Ben Davies is carried off with a suspected dislocated shoulder
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Nacer Chadli calmly slots the ball into the net to make it 2-2
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Southampton players celebrate after Graziano Pelle scores his second
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Pelle jumps highest to head in his and Saints' second
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Erik Lamela celebrates getting Spurs level
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Pelle pokes the ball beyond Hugo Lloris to open the scoring
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Crystal Palace 0 Yannick Bolasie of Crystal Palace and Maya Yoshida of Southampton compete for the ball
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Crystal Palace 0 Sadio Mane scores for Southampton against Crystal Palace
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Sadio mane celebrates with his Southampton team-mates after his late goal against QPR
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Sadio Mane scores a late winner in Southampton's 1-0 victory over QPR
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Southampton defender Matt Targett is carried from the field after suffering a neck injury
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Clint Hill jostles with Sadio Mane
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 Swansea 1 Jonjo Shelvey celebrates his goal
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 Swansea 1 Jonjo Shelvey scores for Swansea with a long-range effort
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Graziano Pelle got Southampton off to the perfect start with an early goal.
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Yaya Sanogo fires past Fraser Forster to score his first goal for Crystal Palace
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Sanogo celebrates his goal
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Marouane Chamakh, scorer of two goals, is mobbed by team-mates after putting the Eagles into the lead
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Graziano Pelle reacts after missing a late chance
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Alan Pardew has now won all four matches since taking over as Crystal Palace manager
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 0 Southampton 1 Juan Mata challenges for the ball with Fraser Forster during the Premier League match at Old Trafford
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 0 Southampton 1 Manchester United defender Tyler Blackett can't reach the shot from Southampton's Serbian midfielder Dusan Tadic
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 0 Southampton 1 Dusan Tadic celebrates the only goal at Old Trafford
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Arsenal 0 A downbeat Arsene Wenger at St Mary's
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Arsenal 0 Dusan Tadic (right) capitalises on Wojciech Szczesny error to make it 2-0
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Arsenal 0 Mane celebrates putting Saints 1-0 up
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Chelsea 1 Eden Hazard celebrates the equaliser
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Chelsea 1 Mane opens the scoring for Southampton
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Yannick Bolasie tries to dribble past Maya Yoshida
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Sadio Mane scores the opener at Selhurst Park
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Mane celebrates with his team-mates
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Ryan Bertrand scored a brilliant goal to make it 2-0
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Toby Aldereiweld headed home the Saints' third
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Palace scored a late consolation but Neil Warnock was booed by the home fans
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Teenager Harrison Reed started for a young Southampton team
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Roberto Martinez and Ronaldo Koeman watch the action at St Mary's
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Jose Fonte heads the ball towards goal but it was given as a Romelu Lukaku own goal
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Southampton players celebrate a crucial opener
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Graziano Pelle scores his 12th goal of the season to put Southampton in control
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Japanese defender Maya Yoshida scores his first goal for the club to hand all three points to Southampton
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Southampton boss Ronald Koeman before kick-off at Bramall Lane
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Nigel Clough angered Koeman with the Dutchman saying he didn't have 'respect' for him or the ref
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Marc McNulty pokes Sheffield United into the lead against their Premier League opponents
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 McNulty celebrates his eighth goal of the season with team-mates
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Florin Gardos was sent off late on in the game
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Sheffield United are in the semi-finals of the competition
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Southampton teenager James Hesketh had to go off after a heavy challenge from Michael Keane
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Fraser Forster smothers an early attempt from Ashley Barnes
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Sadio Mane leaps in the air to bring the ball under control
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Kieran Trippier attempts a free-kick in front of the Turf Moor crowd
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Dusan Tadic saw his penalty saved by Burnley keeper Dusan Tadic with the game still 0-0
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Ashley Barnes turns in a cross to score a crucial winning goal for the CLarets
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Manchester United 2 Robin van Persie put Manchester United ahead after capitalising on Jose Fonte's poor back pass
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Manchester United 2 Pelle drew Saints level before the end of the first half
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Manchester United 2 Van Persie celebrates his second goal of the match that turned out to be the winner
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 Man City 3 Manuel Pellegrini clashes with referee Mike Jones
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 Man City 3 Frank Lamaprd scores City's second
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Leicester City 0 Victor Wanyama leaps in the air to clear an early corner
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Leicester City 0 Graziano Pelle shields the ball from Esteban Cambiasso
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Leicester City 0 Jamie Vardy rides a tackle from Morgan Schneiderlin
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Leicester City 0 Shane Long got off the bench to score his first goal for Southampton since moving to the club for £12m
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Leicester City 0 Matthew James and Leicester players react after conceding
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Leicester City 0 Long celebrates his second goal with team-mates to mark Southampton's best ever start to a top-flight season
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Hull 0 Southampton 1 Victor Wanyama scored a superb goal from 40 yards in the opening stages
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Hull 0 Southampton 1 The midfielder latched on to a poor clearance and lobbed a stranded goalkeeper
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Hull 0 Southampton 1 England manager Roy Hodgson was at the KC Stadium to see high-flying Southampton
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Hull 0 Southampton 1 Mo Diame and Morgan Schneiderlin battle for possession
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Hull 0 Southampton 1 Ryan Bertrand falls under a heavy challenge from Ahmed Elmohamady
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Hull 0 Southampton 1 James Chester complains at the challenge from in-form striker Graziano Pelle
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Stoke 2 Southampton 3 Southampton's Graziano Pelle celebrates his late winner
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Stoke 2 Southampton 3 Pelle scores Southampton's third, and his second
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Stoke 2 Southampton 3 Goalscorer Mame Diouf celebrates with Steven Nzonzi after Stoke equalise - but the jubilation was short-lived
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Stoke 2 Southampton 3 Asmir Begovic can't get anywhere near Pelle's early strike
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Stoke 0 Sadio Mane of Southampton scores the opening goal
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Stoke 0 Asmir Begovic of Stoke City watches the ball cross the line as Sadio Mane of Southampton scores the opening goal
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Stoke 0 Dusan Tadic of Southampton battles for the ball with Charlie Adam
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Stoke 0 Sadio Mane of Southampton celebrates with manager Ronald Koeman
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Sadio Mane completes the rout
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Victor Wanyama scores Saints' seventh
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Dusan Tadic gets his name on the score sheet
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Vito Mannone reflects after Liam Bridcutt's own goal
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Graziano Pelle gets his second of the game
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Jack Cork bundles in the home side's third
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Graziano Pelle scores Saints' second
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Santiago Vergini reflects on his bizarre own goal
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Graziano Pelle celebrates scoring for Southampton
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Graziano Pelle reacts after missing a simple chance for Saints
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Sandro limps off with an injury, just days after hurting his knee by sliding to celebrate a goal in training
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Armand Traore, Steven Davis and Leroy Fer compete for the ball
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 1 Southampton 2 Arsenal's Abou Diaby and Southampton's Steven Davis in action during the Capital One Cup third-round tie
Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 1 Southampton 2 Nathaniel Clyne (No 2) drives home his side's second goal past Arsenal’s David Ospina at the Emirates
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 1 Southampton 2 Alexis Sanchez delivered one of the best free-kicks of the season
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Victor Wanyama and his team mates celebrate their winning goal
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Victor Wanyama celebrates after giving the Saints the lead
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Wilfriend Bony walks from the pitch after being sent off
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Wilfried Bony receives a red card
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Wilfried Bony cuts down Maya Yoshida and receives a second yellow
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Gylfi Sigurdsson lets fly from outside the box
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Nathan Dyer skips over the challenge from Ryan Bertrand
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 4 Newcastle 0 After Jack Cork had made it 3-0, Newcastle fans turned up the volume on their protests against Alan Pardew.
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 4 Newcastle 0 Jack Cork celebrates after scoring the Saints' third.
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 4 Newcastle 0 Alan Pardew's afternoon could only get worse after Graziano Pelle doubled his side's lead after just 19 minutes.
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 4 Newcastle 0 Graziano Pelle gave the Saints the best possible start, tucking his effort past Tim Krul in the first half.
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 4 Newcastle 0 Alan Pardew returned to his former club with his job looking increasingly under threat.
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures West Ham 1 Southampton 3 Graziano Pelle celebrates his goal
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures West Ham 1 Southampton 3 Morgan Schneiderlin levels the score line
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures West Ham 1 Southampton 3 Mark Noble celebrates his opening goal
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 West Brom 0 West Brom players scramble to clear the loose ball inside their penalty area
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 West Brom 0 Youssuf Mulumbu gets a sore one where it hurts
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 West Brom 0 Graziano Pelle wins a flick-on ahead of West Brom defender Craig Dawson
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 West Brom 0 Gary Gardner and Steven Davis put their heads in where it hurts
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 West Brom 0 Stephane Sessegnon drives past Southampton midfielder's to put his team on the attack
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 West Brom 0 New signing Brown Ideye almost scores a late goal for the visitors but his header was saved by Fraser Forster
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Southampton - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Javier Manquillo in action on his Liverpool debut
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Dejan Lovren also made his Reds debut, lining up against his former side
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Jordan Henderson celebrates the first goal after laying on the pass for Raheem Sterling
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Raheem Sterling celebrates his well taken opener at Anfield
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Nathaniel Clyne celebrates with team-mates after bringing the scores level
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Daniel Sturridge celebrates after scoring the winner for Liverpool against Southampton
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ODDS…
Southampton to win: 1.83
West Brom to win: 4.2
Draw: 3.6
TV:
Highlights on BBC1 at 10.30pm.
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