Matchday 36 of the English Premier League sees two bottom half teams face off when 14th place Brentford play host to 15th place Southampton. The two sides are level on points with 40 but the Bees have the superior goal differential. Southampton look to have checked out already as we approach the end of the season and have gone on a 1-2-6 run in their last nine matches. They’re coming off a 2-1 home loss to Crystal Palace in a match in which the Saints were soundly outplayed and deserved to lose. Brentford are coming off a loss of their own, falling 3-0 away to Manchester United the last time out. Aside from the previous result, the Bees have been on a fairly strong run with 10 points from the last five league matches.
Southampton have really struggled to get the full three points from their away matches this season. Of their 17 away league matches, eight have ended in defeat with an additional six ending in draws.The results leave Southampton with the fifth worst away record in the Premier League, with only Leicester and the three relegation teams having accumulated less points on the road. The Saints have had a tough time scoring goals in recent weeks and have only managed four in their last five matches. The hosts should be able to deal with this struggling Southampton attack as Brentford have posted solid defensive numbers when playing at the Brentford Community Center this season. Thomas Frank’s team have only conceded 19 goals at home this season and six of their eight clean sheets have come in front of their own fans.