Everton vs Southampton Predictions

• Southampton have lost ten of their last 11 Premier League away games.
• The Saints have conceded at least two goals in nine of these 11 trips.
• Everton are unbeaten in 16 home league games against Southampton, winning 11 of them.

Benitez looks to win over sceptical Toffees

New Everton manager Rafa Benitez will need to get off to a good start if he is to win over any disgruntled Toffees fans but with a home match against a Southampton side in disarray to open the season he has a fine chance of doing just that.

The Toffees were hardly a stellar side under the departed Carlo Ancelotti, finishing tenth last season and scoring just 47 goals. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was responsible for 16 of those goals and while he did slow down in the second half of the season he looks a good price to find the net on Saturday.

The 24-year-old scored an incredible ten goals in his first seven competitive games for Everton last season and while a similar run is unlikely there is no doubting his importance to this Toffees side.

Saints face relegation battle after dismal summer

It helps that he will come up against a Southampton side that look primed for relegation this season. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side finished 15th last term but the summer has been unkind to them, with top scorer Danny Ings leaving for Aston Villa and centre back Jannik Vestergaard on the verge of joining Leicester.

Only West Brom (76) conceded more goals than the Saints (68) last season and the loss of Vestergaard certainly won’t help their cause. They haven’t kept a Premier League clean sheet since March and have shipped 24 goals in 11 games since then.

Defensive problems to haunt visitors

Things were similarly bad on the road, with ten defeats in their last 11 top-flight away days. Their only points in this period came against rock-bottom Sheffield United and they conceded at least two goals in nine of these 11 matches.

Nothing that has happened over the summer suggests that Southampton will improve this term and backing Everton to bag at least a couple of goals looks a good choice. With Southampton failing to score in seven of their last 11 away games opting for a 2-0 correct score prediction appeals, too.

Everton predicted lineup: Pickford / Coleman, Keane, Godfrey, Digne / Townsend, Doucoure, Allan, Iwobi / Rodriguez, Calvert-Lewin

Southampton predicted lineup: McCarthy / Walker-Pieters, Bednarek, Salisu, Perraud / Armstrong, Diallo, Romeu, Djenepo / Adams, Tella

• Southampton have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five Premier League away games
• Everton have bagged the first match goal in six of their last eight home games against Southampton

Spotlight Insights combine the best data and editorial expertise to give you an extra angle.