Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the Premier League clash between Southampton and Newcastle United. A clash between two of the top-flight's worst attacks shouldn't whet the appetite but we are intrigued to see how friends Mauricio Pellegrino and Rafael Benitez line up against each other at St Mary's. Team news from the south coast is coming right up...

SOUTHAMPTON XI: Forster; Cedric, Van Dijk, Yoshida, Bertrand; Lemina, Romeu, Tadic, Gabbiadini, Redmond; Long

SOUTHAMPTON SUBSTITUTES: McCarthy, Hoedt, McQueen, Ward-Prowse, Boufal, Davis, Austin

NEWCASTLE UNITED XI: Elliot; Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo; Ritchie, Shelvey, Hayden, Atsu; Perez, Joselu

NEWCASTLE UNITED SUBSTITUTES: Darlow, Gamez, Clark, Merino, Diame, Murphy, Gayle

Let's start with Southampton, with Pellegrino handing a first home start of the season to Virgil van Dijk. We are sure that you are aware of his desire to leave St Mary's, with the Dutchman even handing in a transfer request, but he must now face the assumed wrath of the home supporters.

There is also a start for Shane Long, despite the striker's absence from the Republic of Ireland team which beat Wales on Monday night. Pellegrino usually operates with just one frontman but today, Manolo Gabbiadini has been slotted in just behind his teammate. There's also the option of putting the pair alongside each other in attack.

There are few surprises with the rest of the team, with Steven Davis the player to make way for the inclusion of Gabbiadini. It means that Pellegrino uses the more defensive-minded Oriol Romeu and Mario Lemina in the centre of the park.

LATEST! Before we continue with the rest of the team news, let us tell you about a goal in the game at the Amex Stadium. It has gone to Brighton & Hove Albion, who now lead Everton by a 1-0 scoreline. Anthony Knockaert has just netted with eight minutes remaining. Click here to follow the closing stages of that game.

Back on topic, and we will now take a look at the Newcastle side. The main talking point is the return to the starting lineup of Florian Lejeune, who has not featured since an injury on his debut on the opening weekend of the season. Ciaran Clark is the man to make way, despite doing little wrong since replacing the summer signing.

There's also a surprise in midfield, with Isaac Hayden returning to the team to replace Mikel Merino. It seems strange when you consider that the Spaniard only signed for the Magpies on a permanent basis earlier this week, but the former Borussia Dortmund man did feature for his nation's Under-21 setup in midweek.

Matt Ritchie is able to take his place on the flank after recovering from an injury which had kept him out of international duty with Scotland. The 28-year-old has arguably been Newcastle's most important player this season, with four assists coming from seven starts.

On the bench, Mohamed Diame is included despite a reported bust-up with Jamaal Lascelles. Benitez had played down the incident in his pre-match press conference, and he hasn't heightened the situation by leaving the tough-tackling midfielder out of his 18-man squad.

RESULT! Everton have managed to find a late equaliser against Brighton & Hove Albion to earn a 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium. Has that goal saved Ronald Koeman's job? Potentially. It's disappointment for the home side but it is another point towards survival.

You can read our on-the-whistle match report by clicking here.

That result has led to Brighton moving into 10th place in the Premier League table, but dropping two points means that Southampton are now able to move ahead of the Seagulls with a win this afternoon. The draw also means that Newcastle remain above Brighton in ninth.

At the start of our buildup, we alluded to Benitez and Pellegrino being friends, and that's mainly because Pellegrino has worked under Benitez both as a player and an assistant. The former Argentine defender was used by Benitez at both Valencia and Liverpool, and at the start of his coaching career, he was brought onto Benitez's backroom staff at Napoli.

Read what Benitez has had to say about Pellegrino by clicking here.

In Friday's press conference, Pellegrino was also given the opportunity to have his say on his former mentor. Unsurprisingly, he was full of praise for the Magpies boss.

You may wonder why Southampton fans don't necessarily look forward to games at St Mary's, but the main reason is their lack of goals. They have failed to score in eight of their last nine home games, with the anomaly being a 3-2 victory over a 10-man West Ham United side at the start of this season.

With Long, Gabbiadini and Austin at their disposal, Pellegrino will be bitterly disappointed but there has been no consistency with the Argentine's selections. Gabbiadini and Long have been on the pitch for barely half of the club's matches, while Austin has been limited to just five substitute outings. We felt that may have changed this afternoon, but the Englishman remains among the replacements.

Long and Gabbiadini are both on baffling runs without a goal. Irishman Long has not scored a goal for club or country since February 11 - when he netted away at Sunderland - while Gabbiadini only has two goals for Southampton to his name since the start of March, a period of 17 games. Surely that has got to improve sooner rather than later?

Their scoring run coincides with a run of form which led to the dismissal of Claude Puel and has left Pellegrino under pressure to start to deliver results. Southampton have won just three of their last 16 games in all competitions, with those victories coming over Middlesbrough, West Ham and Crystal Palace respectively.

Enough of the negativity, however. Southampton do possess one of the strongest defensive records in recent Premier League memory. In their last 13 games, just 11 goals have been conceded with six clean sheets being recorded during that time. During that period, the club have not let in more than two goals in a single match.

Southampton are also unbeaten in their last nine matches against newly-promoted sides, with eight of those matches ending in a win. We are still getting our head around the fact that Newcastle are still classed as a newly-promoted side given their recent performances but on paper, that's what they are.

Newcastle are also the team who Southampton have enjoyed most success against in the Premier League. Both clubs have spent time out of the top tier, but Southampton have still managed 15 victories since 1992.

Let's turn our attention to Newcastle, who have a dismal record when making the long trip to play the Saints. In 16 away games in the Premier League, the Magpies have just one win and three draws to their name.

If we take a look further back through the archives, it gets no better for Newcastle. Not since 1969 have Newcastle been able to keep a clean sheet at either St Mary's or The Dell - a run stretching 26 matches!

Newcastle's away form in general has been disastrous. Just five points have been recorded from their last 14 matches on the road in the Premier League. Their sole success during that period came away at Swansea City earlier this season, with Jamaal Lascelles scoring a late winner.

We promise that there are some encouraging statistics coming in the next few minutes...

Like Newcastle, Benitez is not a fan of playing Southampton in front of their own supporters. Southampton beat Liverpool by a 2-0 scoreline all the way back in January 2005, before Southampton defeated the Spaniard's Chelsea side in March 2013. We will come on to Benitez's last visit shortly...

On the positive side, Newcastle have managed to concede just 10 goals in their last 13 games in the Premier League. That's impressive regardless of the stature of the team. The North-East giants have also conceded no more than one goal in their last half-a-dozen outings in the first tier. That may have been seven games had Shelvey not gotten himself sent off against Tottenham Hotspur on the first weekend of the season.

PREDICTION! It will come as no surprise to you that we are not predicting a goalfest. We will be pleasantly surprised if we see any goals at all. It surely has to be 1-0 to either side, and we are going to back Southampton to run out narrow victors.

HEAD TO HEAD! Today's contest represents the 95th time in which these teams have faced each other in a competitive match, with Southampton holding a slender advantage with 37 wins in comparison to 36 victories for Newcastle. However, the Saints head into this game having put together a six-game unbeaten streak over today's visitors.

As far as previous meetings at St Mary's are concerned, it has been one-way traffic over the last four encounters. Southampton have prevailed on each occasion, scoring 13 goals and conceding just one. Newcastle last won at Southampton in September 2004 when Stephen Carr scored the winner in a 2-1 triumph.

The most recent showdown between the sides came in April 2016, when goals from Long, Pelle and Wanyama earned the Saints a 3-1 win. That game came just a month after Benitez had arrived at Newcastle and it represents the last time that the Magpies conceded three goals in a top-flight match - a period of 13 matches.

The teams have made their way out at St Mary's. A quick reminder of the team news. Van Dijk starts for Southampton - his first appearance at home since January, and first since handing in a transfer request. Newcastle make two changes, with Lejeune and Hayden coming into the team.

SOUTHAMPTON XI: Forster; Cedric, Van Dijk, Yoshida, Bertrand; Lemina, Romeu, Tadic, Gabbiadini, Redmond; Long

NEWCASTLE UNITED XI: Elliot; Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo; Ritchie, Shelvey, Hayden, Atsu; Perez, Joselu

KICKOFF! Southampton get us underway.

Van Dijk has already had touches of the ball and there doesn't appear to be any boos. That's rather lenient from the Saints fans.

Southampton are yet to lose the ball but there are groans from the fans as soon as they pass the ball back to the halfway line from a crossing position. That's set the tone.

Better from Southampton, who win a throw-in in a deep area after a good cross from Redmond on the left flank. Nothing comes from it however, and Newcastle finally have possession.

Yoshida just attempted a 50-yard diagonal bass to a winger. Is that allowed on Pellegrino's watch? Newcastle win a goal kick but I think the fans liked the ambition.

It has to be said, Southampton are very easy on the eye. Their passing is sharp and Newcastle have barely had a kick. That said, they end up going around in circles. Newcastle are happy to sit deep and wait for the mistake.

Newcastle finally break and it's a quality move. Perez and Ritchie combine before the former's cross is diverted behind for a corner. Shelvey will take the set piece...

SHOT! The corner is only half cleared to Atsu on the edge of the box and the winger doesn't think twice about getting a shot on goal. It goes through a pair of legs before swerving into the side-netting. I think Forster had it covered.

It's more of the same from Southampton but Newcastle have come more into the game now. Benitez is looking to get Ritchie and Atsu in behind the full-backs, but Soares and Bertrand may prove tough nuts to crack.

When Southampton regain the ball, it seems as though they are obliged to reset and start moves from the back. Even if they are winning possession in the final third. I can understand the frustration of their fans.

SHOT! Finally a shot in anger from the Saints. Tadic lets fly from distance but his effort is always rising over Elliot's crossbar.

CHANCE! Southampton should probably be ahead. Redmond's cross finds Tadic at the back post but his free header goes over the bar. It was tame from the Serbian.

This match is warming up very nicely. It helps with Newcastle shooting towards the goal where their supporters are sat. There is excitement whenever the pacey Atsu gets on the ball and he manages to win another corner for the Magpies, although it comes to nothing.

A corner from Ritchie finds the head of Lascelles, but the centre-back has far too much to do and doesn't add to his two goals this season.

We are sure that you didn't predict Hayden to be scoring the first goal of this match.

Atsu's volley was brilliantly blocked by Yoshida but the ball fell to Hayden, who drilled a low volley into the bottom corner of Forster's net. The goalkeeper was wrong-footed. That's Hayden's first-ever goal in the Premier League.

CHANCE! Van Dijk almost scores an immediate equaliser! What a story this would have been. The Dutchman rose above the Magpies defence to meet a Redmond corner, but he directed his header marginally wide of the far post.

Good game, this.

Controversial moment here. Perez thinks he is through on goal after getting the better of Van Dijk but the referee and assistant both decide he fouled the Dutchman. It really could have gone either way. It wasn't an obvious foul.

Going back to Hayden. That was just his third goal in 73 appearances in English football. We expected Merino to play instead of the former Arsenal trainee, but he has already justified his inclusion.

Should Gabbiadini be doing better here? Yoshida finds himself on the left flank and delivers a sensational ball to the Italian. However, the out-of-form forward fails to make contact with his header from around 12 yards out.

We are over half-an-hour through this game and I must admit, it has been a lot better than I expected. Both teams are impressing and Southampton probably deserve to be on level terms. Lemina has been class.

Newcastle fancy their chances of hitting Southampton on the break every time that Shelvey picks up the ball in midfield. However, it is leading to the Magpies surrendering possession on most occasions.

With 10 minutes to go until half time, we think that the visitors are content to try to see this out. The centre-backs are sitting increasingly deep but it is to their benefit.

SHOT! Long's eyes light up when he is played in on the right-hand side of the penalty area but a moment's hesitation leads to a Newcastle defender getting across to make the block.

This is a naughty one from Perez. The Spaniard deliberately jumps into Yoshida when challenge for a high ball. He doesn't even look at the ball. A stern warning is given by the referee.

CHANCE! Another good chance for the home side. Redmond breaks down the left and tees up Tadic, but Lejeune gets across to deflect the midfielder's shot over the crossbar.

BOOKING! There has also been a booking. We think it has gone to Yedlin for something he said after conceding a foul on the touchline.

Yet another timely block from a Newcastle player, this time to deny Long. The Irishman tries a first-time effort inside the penalty area but Lascelles gets himself in the way. The visitors have been excellent at the back.

There will be one minute of added-on time.

The half-time whistle goes at St Mary's and Newcastle lead thanks to a long-range effort from Hayden. Southampton have dominated possession but they don't look sharp enough in the final third. It's been a similar story all season. That said, their overall play has been excellent. They should need an end product.

Newcastle's goal came from an unlikely source. Hayden had never scored a Premier League and had previous only netted twice in 72 appearances in English football. That all changed when he took the opportunity to shoot from just under 25 yards, with his well-struck shot wrong-footing Forster, who had his view blocked by a number of bodies.

Southampton have had their chances to equalise, with Tadic and Van Dijk both sending headers off target when placed. The Newcastle backline have also made a number of vital blocks to prevent goalbound efforts having to be dealt with by Elliot. It's not all doom and gloom for the Saints, but there is plenty of room for improvement.

Pellegrino is fortunate to have plenty of options on the bench. Austin is the obvious introduction and quite frankly, deserves more than the 61 minutes he has featured from five substitute appearances this season. Pellegrino may also look to Ward-Prowse and Boufal.

There doesn't appear to be any changes for either side. That's understandable given the state of the game.

KICKOFF! Newcastle get us back underway.

WOODWORK! Joselu hits the bar for Newcastle! Perez does superbly down the right before delivering the cross for his Spanish compatriot, but his deflected flick clips the crossbar and Southampton eventually survive.

Southampton look flat at the start of this second half, unless Newcastle are just upping the tempo. I definitely think there are more goals in this. I wouldn't have said that before the game.

Told you...

First of all, Gabbiadini scores just his second goal in 17 appearances after biding his time before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner from 18 yards out. It's a fine goal.

However, less than two minutes later, Perez saw a low shot smothered by Forster before being able to power in the rebound from an acute angle. It's poor from Forster, who didn't react very quickly.

There's a stunned silence at St Mary's. I'm not sure if that is because they have witnessed their side score a goal, or the fact they they were on level terms for just two minutes. The Magpies faithful are delirious. There's still more goals in this one.

This is a terrible decision by the referee. Yedlin goes in late on Redmond and it's a definite yellow. However, presumably because the American has already been booked, the official has acted leniently and given the full-back a final warning!

SUBSTITUTION! Southampton make the first change of the match with Boufal replacing Redmond, who has been excellent. I had no idea about the logic behind that decision.

The home side are trying to build a bit of momentum but Newcastle are set up like they were at the start of the game. Sitting deep just resulted in Soares trying to score from distance. He didn't succeed.

There are whistles from the home crowd. They already think that time is being wasted by Newcastle. Slightly desperate at this stage...

Benitez is readying his first alteration.

SUBSTITUTION! This is the first sign of Benitez settling for what he has got. Merino is introduced for Perez.

Southampton are still measured in their approach but they then suddenly decide to send a long ball to either Gabbiadini or Long. That's not going to work against Lascelles and Lejeune. Austin can't be far away.

SUBSTITUTION! A second switch for Southampton sees Davis come on for Romeu. Still no Austin.

SUBSTITUTION! The changes are coming thick and fast now. Gayle is being introduced for Joselu, who didn't do a lot aside from hitting the crossbar.

SHOT! I'm not sure what Lejeune was thinking here. The centre-back just attempted a volley on the swivel and only proceed to send the ball into the top tier of the stand.

We still aren't getting many shots on goal from Southampton. They are playing at an almost leisurely pace. Newcastle are still looking to hit their hosts on the break.

PENALTY TO SOUTHAMPTON! Long is looking for this but it is a penalty. Lejeune mistimes a challenge on the byline and the Irishman goes down.

Southampton are back on level terms! It's a stunning spot kick, directed high into the side of the net. Game on!

BOOKING! Gabbiadini now finds himself in the book for a foul. He's high on adrenaline right now!

BOOKING! Hayden commits a similar foul to Yedlin earlier in the game. It's a yellow on this occasion. Consistency, referee. Consistency...

Newcastle win a free kick in a threatening position on the right of the penalty area. Ritchie fancies this.

SHOT! The Scot attempts to find the far top corner, but the ball doesn't have enough whip on it.

SUBSTITUTIONS! Here comes the final changes of the game. For Southampton, Austin replaces Long, while Benitez opts to replace Atsu with Murphy.

Newcastle have got away with another second yellow. This time, it is Hayden who fouls Van Dijk, catching his studs on the defender's shin, but the referee deems it not worthy of a booking.

Boufal has done very little since his introduction but after getting down the left, his cross causes confusion inside the Newcastle box before the ball is hooked clear.

Just the two minutes left at St Mary's. I think if there is going to be a fifth goal, it will be for Southampton. They just won a corner but it was dealt with by Elliot.

CHANCE! Ignore me. Davis has just cleared Lejeune's header off the line! The ball was heading towards the far corner with Forster beaten.

There will be four minutes of added-on time but there will be many more than that. Hayden and Ritchie have just clashed heads and both are down. It was a nasty one.

Both players are back up and fine to continue. We would have had a situation if the pair had sustained concussion. Newcastle have used all of their subs.

There are just seconds left in this game. That could be that as far as the action is concerned.

A final corner for Newcastle...

The full-time whistle goes at St Mary's and we have ended at 2-2. Despite the apprehension over how this game could pan out, it was a thriller and both teams will be relatively pleased with a point. Pellegrino will perhaps be questioning why Newcastle were not reduced to 10 men before the hour but there will be an element of satisfaction in watching his team twice fight back from a goal down.

That will be all from Sports Mole for this game. Thank you for joining us and we hope to see you again soon.

Before you go, if you fancy reading our match report from St Mary's, you can do so by clicking here. Goodbye for now.