Steve Bruce's Newcastle United side face Southampton at St. James' Park on Saturday four days after The Saints' crashed to a 9-0 defeat for the second successive Premier League season - this time against Manchester United at Old Trafford - as Newcastle were succumbing to their own 2-1 loss against Crystal Palace at St James' Park.

Whether Newcastle will be facing a wounded Saints animal determined to avenge another humiliating defeat or will be able to take advantage of a crisis in confidence in the Southampton camp remains to be seen yet Bruce's team were all-too easily swept aside in a 2-0 loss at St. Mary's Stadium and will looking for some payback of their own.

Newcastle go into the game having played well against Crystal Palace yet had nothing to show for their efforts despite taking a lead after 70 seconds through a rasping half volley from Captain JonJo Shelvey:

before being pegged back quickly by the visitors with two quick goals by Jairo Riedewald and Gary Cahill.

If another defeat put the pressure back on Steve Bruce, his opposite number on Saturday Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed he has received a lot of positive messages from Southampton fans following the 9-0 loss at Old Trafford and said in his presser he expects them to bounce back from it like they did last season although it took the Saints five games to win a match after the 9-0 thrashing by Leicester in 2019-20.

Like the Leicester City 9-0 loss last year, being reduced to 10 men early on this time after just 80 seconds when debutant Alex Jankewitz was sent off for a dangerous challenge, precipitated the Premier League-record equalling defeat for Southampton. This was compounded when they were reduced to 9 men in the second half as Jan Bednarek was also dismissed although on appeal, the Premier League have quashed the Polish defender's red card & ban which means he can play against Newcastle.

Southampton have endured an injury crisis in 2021 and slumped to four consecutive defeats against Man U, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Leicester since that memorable 1-0 win over Liverpool that made their manager cry on the touchline with emotion and Stuart Armstrong is the latest casualty with injury yet defenders Jannik Vestergaard & Kyle Walker-Peters have a shot of making a return at Newcastle that would boost The Saints.

Japanese forward Takumi Minamino joined The Saints on loan from Liverpool late on deadline day to add to their attacking numbers despite the forward only scoring once in 19 Premier League games at Anfield although Austrian manager Hasenhuttl will know all about him from his time at RB Salzburg & said:

"Takumi will help provide another good attacking option and is importantly the right profile of player for us.
"This will give us some additional depth in our squad at an important time and I am looking forward to beginning work with him on the training pitch."

Newcastle, meanwhile, signed Joe Willock on loan from Arsenal on transfer deadline day and the attacking midfielder who has been in a rich vein of goal-scoring form in The Europa League, while struggling to edge his way into The Gunners' Premier League team picture, paid tribute to new manager Steve Bruce's big role in his arrival at St James':

"The manager asked me how I was and how training was.
"He was very humorous with me, he made a few jokes, I'm a funny guy and I love to have jokes.
"It was a conversation starter but then he spoke about he was going to use me, where he sees me in the team, he had a whole plan for me already.
"I was really shocked, it's the first time I've had a manager who had a whole plan for me."

Bruce has sought a more mobile, box-to-box midfielder with the athleticism and skill to run games ever since he arrived at Newcastle and in Willock he might just have his man - an all-rounder who can add pace, energy and, importantly, an ability to carry the ball forward from midfield to Newcastle's attack. Willock will have licence to get forward support the attack and score goals like this cracker at Anfield in the 5-5 vs Liverpool:

Speaking of former manager Arsene Wenger's influence on his career, Willock said:

"Arsene Wenger was a very laid back man but when he spoke, everyone listened. He was Arsene Wenger so everyone had to listen.
“He always taught me personally to play with freedom and enjoy myself. That’s one thing I can take from him.”

and that creative licence to thrill could add the attacking spark that's been missing in Newcastle's side too often this year especially in this absence of another Frenchman, Allan Saint-Maximum, who could make his first start of 2021 on Saturday which might give Southampton nightmares after his winner & performance against them last season:

In his pre-match presser, Bruce revealed Newcastle have a defensive crisis of their own with Jamaal Lascelles and Fede Fernandez out with Paul Dummett and Jamal Lewis struggling and Ciaran Clark's wife is in labour so is touch and go which will mean a defensive reshuffle. Potentially, Javier Manquillo could play left-back & Emil Krafth coming in as right full-back with Isaac Hayden dropping into the centre of defence although The Magpies will run late fitness tests on Saturday morning.

On the positive side for Newcastle, Allan Saint-Maximin and new boy Joe Willock are poised to start for Newcastle so a much-changed line-up can be expected with Willock taking centre stage at St James Park, the ground where he made his Arsenal debut and remembers Newcastle fans being 'scary' to play in front of although sadly due to Covid-19, The Magpies won't have that 12th man advantage tomorrow.

Prediction - Newcastle 2 Southampton 1

Expected Line Ups: