Southampton and West Ham United will both hoping to avoid a fourth game without a win in the Premier League when the two European hopefuls lock horns at St Mary's on Tuesday evening.
The Saints could not find a way past Fulham on Boxing Day as they played out a goalless stalemate with the Cottagers, while West Ham's game with Brighton on Sunday ended with both sides walking away with a point as well.
Match preview
Southampton's quest for a spot in Europe has hit a couple of roadblocks in recent weeks, with Ralph Hasenhuttl's men failing to win any of their last three Premier League matches.
The Saints played out a draw with Arsenal before losing on their own turf to Manchester City earlier this month, and a trip to a struggling Fulham represented an ideal opportunity for Hasenhuttl's side to return to winning ways on Boxing Day.
However, Southampton had two goals ruled out on a frustrating afternoon at Craven Cottage, with Fulham managing to hold the European-chasing Saints to a goalless stalemate in the capital as Hasenhuttl's men dropped to ninth in the table.
Despite losing some of their bite in the absence of Danny Ings, Southampton are still just two points off the top four and find themselves level on points with Aston Villa - albeit having played two more games - and Hasenhuttl will be demanding a reaction from his side when West Ham pay a visit to the South Coast.
Southampton have drawn two of their last three Premier League matches, but this week's hosts are yet to share the spoils in a home game this season, and Hasenhuttl's men have kept clean sheets in all four of their top-flight victories on familiar territory so far.
West Ham United were also handed a prime opportunity to return to winning ways against a stuttering Brighton & Hove Albion side, with David Moyes's men drawing with Crystal Palace and losing to Chelsea before Saturday's showdown.
However, it was Brighton who drew first blood thanks to Neal Maupay's opener before Ben Johnson initially equalised for West Ham, and Lewis Dunk's goal for the Seagulls was not enough to put West Ham down as Tomas Soucek popped up with a late leveller at the London Stadium.
Moyes's defensive lineup drew heavy criticism before the game, and despite showing plenty of promise earlier on in the autumn, West Ham - like Southampton - are now without a win in three Premier League matches.
A point against the Seagulls sees West Ham remain 10th in the table before Wolverhampton Wanderers face off against Tottenham Hotspur later on Sunday, and with some of their European rivals also struggling for wins as of late, Moyes's side are still just three points adrift of the top seven.
West Ham have managed to come up trumps in their last five meetings with Southampton, with Sebastien Haller scoring the only goal in this fixture last season.
Southampton Premier League form: LWWDLD
West Ham United Premier League form: WLWDLD
Team News
Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu is back in the fold after serving a suspension against Fulham, and the Spaniard could slot straight back into the team in place of Ibrahima Diallo.
Ings and Nathan Redmond were both ruled out of the trip to Fulham with muscular problems and are unlikely to be back for this one either, while Jannik Vestergaard is sidelined for the next few weeks with a knee injury.
Hasenhuttl could be tempted into a couple of alterations after waiting until the dying embers to make any substitutions on Boxing Day, with Moussa Djenepo potentially returning to the first XI.
West Ham frontman Michail Antonio was not risked for the visit of Brighton despite returning to training, and it would be a surprise to see the 30-year-old given the green light to feature on Tuesday.
Changes will most certainly be made by Moyes, though, with Manuel Lanzini potentially replacing Mark Noble after being brought on at half time against the Seagulls, although Pablo Fornals is also an option for the visitors.
Said Benrahma continues to struggle for game time under Moyes, but Jarrod Bowen's spot should be safe despite being sacrificed alongside Noble during the interval on Sunday.
Southampton possible starting lineup:
McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand; Walcott, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Djenepo; Adams, Long
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Coufal, Ogbonna, Balbuena, Cresswell, Johnson; Bowen, Rice, Soucek, Fornals; Haller
We say: Southampton 1-1 West Ham United
Moyes would have undoubtedly been the happier of the two managers after West Ham's draw with Brighton, and the visitors' defensive resolve should serve them well against an Ings-less Southampton. Hasenhuttl's men will be desperate to return to winning ways in this one, and the hosts have not drawn a league game at St Mary's this season, but we think a low-scoring stalemate is the most likely outcome.
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