Saturday's match between Aston Villa and Southampton features two teams trying to get the New Year moving in the right direction. Both teams are in the lower echelon of the league and are trying to fend off a relegation spot.
Aston Villa currently sits in 16th place with 19 points off of four wins, seven draws, and 10 losses. The team has the second worst offense in the league with just 17 goals in favor. However, they have the worst defense in the league with 41 goals against. The team has been winless in four matches but managed to end a dreadful three game losing streak on New Year's Day against Swansea City.
Things got off to a rough start for Villa when Wayne Routledge of Swansea scored in the 9th minute. However, Andreas Weimann and Christian Benteke combined to give the team a 2-1 lead with 16 minutes to go. In the end however, the chance at victory was foiled when Danny Graham tied the game at the fourth minute of stoppage to salvage a point for Swansea and steal one from Villa. Benteke and Weimann have combined for 10 of the team's 17 goals and will be vital in this upcoming tilt with Southampton.
News has been better for Southampton as they have just signed Luke Shaw to a new deal. The team is one point behind Aston Villa and currently tied with Wigan Athletic for 18th place in the standings. If they lost and Wigan was to win or draw their tilt, this team would be occupying the final relegation spot after 22 weeks. The team is also on a four game winless streak, but they have drawn their last three. In their last match, they battled Arsenal to a 1-1 standstill. Rickie Lambert is the team's crucial player as he has scored eight goals on the season, five more than anyone else on the team.
Prediction: A draw seems fair between these two teams. 3-3.
Start Time: 10 a.m. EST
TV Info: Fox Soccer Channel
Watch Live Stream on Fox Soccer HERE
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