Southampton will look to extend their perfect home league record when they host newly-promoted Bolton Wanderers at St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday 17th October, with kick-off set for 3pm BST.
The Saints are chasing a sixth straight home league win and come into the game on the back of back-to-back 1-0 victories over Portsmouth and Norwich. Those results brought Southampton their first clean sheets of the Championship campaign and also delivered their first away win of the season.
Southampton looking to keep momentum going
Tonda Eckert said Southampton will do everything on the pitch to get the crowd behind them again after last weekend’s derby win over Portsmouth. He added that it is a big match for the club as they try to finish the week strongly.
There is also an injury concern for the home side, with Flynn Downes forced off in the first half at Carrow Road before this match after suffering an ankle injury. Southampton will have to manage that issue carefully as they try to keep their winning run going.
Bolton arrive in confident mood
Bolton were promoted from League One via the play-offs last season, but they have made a positive start to life back at this level. Steven Schumacher’s side have won three of their last four matches, including a 3-1 victory at Wolves on Tuesday night.
Schumacher also gave his view on the challenge ahead, saying Southampton look like the best team in the league based on what he has seen so far. He added that Bolton will need to defend well, break quickly on the counter-attack and make the most of their possession if they are to cause problems.
There is one change to Bolton’s recent team news after Cameron Bragg served a one-game ban at Norwich before this fixture. With both sides in decent form, the match should provide another useful test of where each club stands early in the season.
Southampton will hope home advantage can again make the difference, while Bolton will believe they have enough momentum to make things difficult at St Mary’s.
