Southampton vs Fulham Predictions

• Southampton have taken points off Crystal Palace and West Ham this month
• Fulham have lost four of their last five assignments
• Both teams have scored in five of Southampton’s last six contests
• Alex Iwobi has netted nine times in the Premier League

Struggling Saints could spring a surprise

It is a bold move to back a Southampton team who have collected just 11 points all season in the Premier League but Saints could hold firm when they host Fulham this weekend.

Southampton have endured a miserable campaign in the top flight, losing 26 of their 33 matches with both Russell Martin and Ivan Juric dismissed this season.

And while their relegation back to the Championship was confirmed at the start of the month, they still have reason to fight in their remaining five matches.

Reason to fight for South Coast club

As it stands, Saints are set to go down as the joint-worst team in Premier League history, levelling Derby County’s paltry haul of 11 points in the 2007-08 season.

And surpassing that total will be their focus for the remainder of the season, while they will also want to give their fans something to be pleased with now that the pressure is off.

Last Saturday they dug deep to take a point off West Ham at the London Stadium as Lesley Ugochukwu’s 93rd-minute equaliser cancelled out Jarrod Bowen’s opener.

And they should fancy their chances of avoiding defeat against Fulham, who have themselves fallen off the pace recently.

Fulham underwhelm in season’s closing stages

Marco Silva’s side look out of the running to make the Premier League’s top six and, since their FA Cup exit to Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals, they have lost three of their last four matches.

Last Sunday’s loss to rivals Chelsea will have especially hurt given that the Cottagers were leading 1-0 until the 83rd minute, only to concede two late goals to lose 2-1.

Their heads will have dropped following that loss and there is the risk that complacency could slip in when the visit the struggling Saints.

Southampton have taken points off both Crystal Palace and West Ham already this month and they managed to earn a draw when these sides met in the reverse fixture back in December, drawing 0-0 at Craven Cottage.

They can again claim at least a point but there could be more goals on this occasion with both teams scoring in five of Southampton’s last six games, so 1-1 looks an appropriate correct-score selection.

For Fulham, Alex Iwobi is worth monitoring after recent goals against Liverpool and Chelsea  and he can add to his tally of nine Premier League strikes this term.