Newcastle secured a famous win at Old Trafford last weekend with a 0-1 win thanks to Yohan Cabaye’s second half strike. Alan Pardew’s men will be in high spirits this weekend so expect them to come out all guns blazing against the Saints on Saturday.
Vurnon Anita will have to be mindful of his defensive technique should he feature this weekend against a Saints team who know how to dominate possession. Anita recorded the joint highest number of fouls in the last round according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index with 4.
Moussa Sissoko has continued his return to some of his best form this season, exerting ever more influence in the Magpie’s engine room. He continues to lead the Newcastle squad for total passes completed in the opponent’s half with 277 to his name.
Enforcer Cheik Tiote shows no signs of curtailing his ever-aggressive, though effective, style of play. He leads the Newcastle squad for total tackles attempted this season with 66, yet has also conceded another squad-high of 26 fouls.
The arrival of Loic Remy has certainly given Alan Pardew’s side another string to their bow as they to climb even further up the table. He leads the squad for total attempts on goal this season with 27, with Yohan Cabaye nipping at his heels with 26. Remy is 6/4 to score at any time this weekend with 888sport.com.
Southampton provided even further evidence of the top-of-the-table credentials after an excellent display against Manchester City last weekend. Dani Osvaldo’s incredible solo effort was enough to earn a 1-1 draw and a well-deserved point after yet another impressive performance from Mauricio Pochettino’s men.
Osvaldo will be hoping his stunning goal will spur him on the heights that he is capable of as the season progresses. At present he currently sits on a 50% shot accuracy rate from 24 attempts according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Victor Wanyama continues to display an aggressive style this season which although making him a fan favourite, has drawn him to the attention of the officials more often than not. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index he’s racked up more fouls (33) this term than anyone else in the league.
Their ability to keep a clean sheet has been crucial to the Saints’ fortunes this season, with the club quickly developing a reputation as one of the hardest teams in the league to score against. Their overall defensive efforts have been superb, with four players (Schneiderlin, Fonte, Lovren and Wanyama) currently sitting on 100 defensive contributions or more (blocks, clearances, interceptions, tackles won).
England midfielder Adam Lallana continues to be his side’s shining light going forward this season, providing width and creativity to their play. He leads the squad for total attacking contributions (shots on goal, dribbles, crosses, assists) this season with 62. Lallana is 4/1 with 888sport.com to score at any time this weekend.