Southampton will hope to continue a recent resurgence of form when they meet fellow strugglers Norwich City in the Premier League on Wednesday.
The Saints claimed their first Premier League victory since August against Watford over the weekend and will know that the meeting with the Canaries represents a unique chance to gain some momentum.
Match preview
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Following the 9-0 defeat at home to Leicester City, it seemed as if Southampton's season was only heading in one direction following a string of hapless performances.
That humbling could have diminished the squad's spirit even further, laying the platform for a new manager to come in, but the response of Ralph Hasenhuttl's side since that defeat has been impressive.
A 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates last month, which served as the club's eighth game without a victory in all competitions, was nonetheless a deeply significant result for the club given the personality that came with that performance.
Playing with a higher tempo and with much better ambition, Southampton created a number of excellent chances and, on another day, would have won the game by a convincing scoreline, only for Alexandre Lacazette to level the game in injury time.
That spirit was rewarded against Watford, and Hasenhuttl's men will know that the same performance against Norwich would almost certainly bring three points against a team below them in the table.
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If the win over Watford was a watershed moment for Southampton, it could be equally said that Norwich demonstrated signs of turning a corner with a 2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.
That result came off the back of seven games without a victory for Daniel Farke's side, whose remarkable 3-2 win over Manchester City in September preceded a dire spell of form.
The Canaries followed up the win at Everton with an impressive performance at home to Arsenal, claiming a 2-2 draw in a game that the home side could have easily won.
However, despite the benefits of playing an aggressive, pressing-based style of football, Norwich nonetheless find themselves undone by more direct attacking movements when they leave gaps in behind their defence - especially away from home.
As they prepare for a classic relegation 'six-pointer' on Wednesday, Norwich may well benefit from adopting a slightly more conservative mindset - based on keeping the back line resolute before anything else - when they travel to Saint Mary's during the week.
Recent Southampton form: LLLLDW
Recent Norwich City form: DLLLWD
Team News
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Southampton only have one injury concern, with midfielder Stuart Armstrong sidelined until mid-December due to a hamstring problem.
For Norwich, talisman Timm Klose remains some way away from returning from a knee injury that could keep him out for the entire season.
Josip Drmic is not expected to come back until the new year after suffering a thigh injury against Bournemouth, while Grant Hanley is also ruled out, with the defender yet to make a return to training.
Midfielder Alexander Tettey is one player who should return to the team after missing the meeting with Arsenal due to "family reasons".
Southampton possible starting lineup:
McCarthy; Valery, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand; Djenepo, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Redmond; Ings, Long
Norwich City possible starting lineup:
Krul; Aarons, Zimmermann, Godfrey, Byram; Tettey, Trybull; Cantwell, Buendia, Hernandez; Pukki
We say: Southampton 1-0 Norwich
In games like these, home advantage seems to matter even more, and with Southampton demonstrating an improved level of application in recent weeks, you suspect that the Saints will edge out a win during what promises to be a tight affair.
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