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Southampton vs Leicester City Preview: xT timeline, xGA, shots and more – what do the stats say?

Leicester City travel to the St. Mary’s Stadium and will face a Southampton side who have lost their last two English Premier League games. The home team is in the bottom half of the table, whereas Leicester City have moved into the top half of the table. These two teams played out a 1-1 draw in the same fixture last season.

Southampton have won three, drawn five, and lost five games this season. They have scored 11 goals with an xG rate of 17.25 and conceded 18 goals. The Saints suffered a 4-0 defeat against Liverpool in their previous Premier League match. This was their second consecutive defeat, and they have now lost back-to-back games for the second time this season.

Premier League Preview: Southampton vs Leicester City

The above viz is the shot map of Southampton from their match against Liverpool. Southampton players attempted seven shots and managed to hit the target three times. All the shots were attempted from inside the opposition’s penalty box. The expected goal rate of the team was 1.07.

Southampton have struggled to find the back of the net this season. They are the joint second-lowest goal-scoring team in the division and average less than a goal per match despite having a high expected goal rate. Danny Ings was their most consistent player last season. He moved to Aston Villa in the summer and the other strikers haven’t been effective this season. Adam Armstrong, Che Adams, and Armando Broja have scored two goals each in a combined total of 31 appearances, both on and off the bench.

Jack Stephens has resumed training and could make a return after a prolonged absence. Moussa Djenepo should also be available for this match but Stuart Armstrong will remain out for this game.

Leicester City scored four past Watford and claimed a 4-2 victory that took them into the top half of the table. This was their fifth win this season, having drawn three matches.

Premier League Preview: Southampton vs Leicester City

The Foxes scored three goals in the first half and one goal in the second half against Watford. The above viz shows that they created more threats in the second half. Jamie Vardy scored a brace and has now scored nine goals this season.

Premier League Preview: Southampton vs Leicester City

The biggest concern for Brendan Rodgers is their leaky defense. Leicester City have conceded 23 goals and have the third-highest expected goal against rate in the division. Their defense is only better than the bottom two sides in the Premier League table.

Leicester City will play with the same squad after no new injury concerns. Youri Tielemans is also nearing a comeback and could feature in the upcoming matches.

Leicester City have scored fewer goals than the goals they have conceded. They will look to carry their momentum from the weekend’s victory and earn three more points in this game. The Saints’ biggest concern is scoring goals, and Ralph Hasenhuttl will expect his team to convert the chances. Both teams need a victory to kickstart their season once again.