While many people are focused on the business end of the season and what it may hold for the big six, there is a silent battle which often rages until the final day of the season. That battle is often called the relegation zone battle and there is no team that can relate better to this than Southampton. Southampton is in desperate need of wins in recent days if they want to avoid the drop. Huddersfield is another team who are in danger of simply away. It is no doubt then that the three available when they both meet each other would be three vital points.
To illustrate just how much these three points is needed, all we have to do is to look at the positions of both teams on the league table. Southampton has managed to climb out of the bottom three for the first time this season thanks to a spectacular win against the Gunners in their last match. They sit 17th in the league table. Huddersfield has not been able to see much joy in the league this season and they sit all the way down at 19th. However, the difference between the two teams is just two points. Hence, the loser of this match would be definitely be thrown back into the relegation zone. Both teams would thus be on the lookout for a way to snatch all three points away from each other.
When it comes to the current form of both teams, there are a lot of consecutive losses to sort by. Southampton, however, can boast of a better result than Huddersfield as they have picked up at least 5 points from their last six games. This is the result of a win and two draws. The other matches which they have played have ended in losses. They would, however, be spurred on by the fact they won and ended the Gunner's 22 matches unbeaten streak at their stadium. It is believed that they would take this win as a morale booster which would strengthen their resolve to survive the relegation zone this season. Huddersfield, on the other hand, has fared really badly in recent time. It has been four long matches since Southampton knew what it felt like to win. Their last win came on the 25th November when they ran out 2-0 winner wolves. Since then, Huddersfield has suffered four straight losses. The only positive thing that can be taken out of these losses is the fact that the scoreline was pretty close and not heavy.
Southampton would no doubt come into this game with the mindset that only a win can take them further away from the drop. They would no doubt be looking to play as well as they did against Arsenal. Under their new Austrian coach, they would feel that anything is possible. Huddersfield would be hoping to avoid their fifth consecutive loss which would surely condemn them to at least two more weeks in the relegation zone.
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