After suffering yet another defeat midweek, Preston North End welcome Southampton to Deepdale this weekend. 

The Lilywhites lost 3-2 to Sheffield United at home during the week after a first half hat trick from Sydie Peck quickly crushed their chances of three points. 

When Leo Leroy put Graham Alexander’s men 1-0 up within the first two minutes, it was looking like Preston’s night after all the weeks of suffering. 

It wasn’t to be, despite a late fighting from Callum Lang, the Lancashire side recorded their 11th league defeat of the season. 

Only seventh place Southampton await them next, the third top scorers in the league and would be second if it weren’t for the points deduction.

Saint’s Form

Preston North End face a difficult test on Saturday afternoon, with Southampton arriving at Deepdale having put together an impressive run of results under Tonda Eckert.

The Saints are unbeaten in their last five Championship matches, picking up three victories and two draws to establish themselves among the early contenders for promotion.

Their recent run includes an impressive 3-2 victory away to West Ham United, followed by a convincing 4-1 win against Queens Park Rangers. They were held to a goalless draw by Bolton Wanderers before recording a 1-0 victory over Norwich City, while their most recent outing ended in a 1-1 draw away to West Bromwich Albion.

There is plenty to admire about Southampton’s attacking output, having scored nine goals across those five fixtures. Their ability to find the net from different areas of the pitch makes them a particularly difficult side to contain.

Eckert’s side have also demonstrated an ability to grind out results when performances are less convincing, with their victories over Norwich and their draw against Bolton highlighting a degree of resilience.

Sitting seventh in the Championship table after 14 matches, despite beginning the campaign with a four-point deduction, Southampton are already showing why they were considered one of the favourites for promotion.

Team News

The biggest concern for Alexander is Johnny Kenny, who was forced off just 13 minutes into Tuesday’s defeat against Sheffield United with a hamstring injury.

Leo Leroy will also miss out after picking up his fifth yellow card of the campaign, meaning the French midfielder is suspended.

Ali McCann, Liam Gibbs, Lewis Gibson and Harry Clarke remain unavailable through injury, although Caleb Wiley’s return against the Blades provides a welcome boost.

The Saints have a few injury concerns of their own, with Cyle Larin and Caspar Jander both doubts for Saturday’s trip.

Larin has been struggling with a hamstring problem, while Jander picked up a muscular injury in training.

Flynn Downes is another player to monitor after being forced off against West Bromwich Albion, while Mads Roerslev remains unavailable.

Both managers will be hoping for positive fitness updates before Saturday’s meeting, with North End particularly short of options following Kenny’s latest setback.

Three Danger Men

Lewis Dobbin

The former Preston loanee will be a familiar face to supporters at Deepdale, having enjoyed an excellent spell with North End last season. The forward registered 10 goals and eight assists in 39 Championship appearances, becoming an important part of the Lilywhites’ attacking options.

His performances earned him a move to Southampton, where he will be looking to make his mark. A quick, direct attacker who is comfortable operating across the frontline, Dobbin offers pace and movement that can cause problems for defenders.

Although he has not yet established himself as a regular starter for the Saints, his previous contribution in a Preston shirt means he is certainly one to watch.

Leo Scienza

The Brazilian has quickly become an influential attacking option for Southampton, offering the visitors plenty of pace, flair and unpredictability in the final third.

Scienza is particularly dangerous when running at defenders, using his dribbling ability and close control to create space for himself and his teammates. He has already registered two goals and two assists in the Championship this season, demonstrating that his threat extends beyond simply beating his man.

Preston will need to be wary of allowing him too much freedom out wide, particularly if he is able to isolate the full-backs and drive towards the penalty area.

Finn Azaz

Arguably one of Southampton’s biggest attacking threats, Azaz has been in excellent form this season and is already proving his importance to Tonda Eckert’s side.

The Republic of Ireland international is an intelligent attacking midfielder who thrives in pockets of space, linking play and creating opportunities for those around him. He also possesses a goalscoring threat of his own, having registered three goals and five assists in the Championship this campaign.

North End will need to keep a close eye on his movement between the lines and prevent him from dictating proceedings in the final third. Give him too much time and space, and he has the quality to make the difference.

XI Prediction

Preston North End (3-4-3):

Iversen; Offiah, Storey, Hughes; Mills, Thompson, Moran, Vukčević; Alfie Devine, Erabi, Lang

Southampton (4-2-3-1):

Peretz; Bree, Stephens, Schlotterbeck, Manning; Ward-Prowse, Downes; Matsuki, Azaz, Edozie; Mubama.

Score Prediction: Preston North End 0-5 Southampton

Maybe I’ve finally broken, maybe I have gone slightly mad, but can you blame me? 

There is nothing to suggest that one of the best attacking team in the league is going to completely forget how to score goals and tear teams apart against the worst team in the league. 

North End will be lucky to come away from this fixture with less than four goals conceded, as this is purely another stepping stone for Southampton’s redemption towards promotion.