Southampton

West Ham United are interested in Southampton centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis. (Sun - subscription required), external

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Highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from Friday's game between Leicester and Brentford.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Arsenal 0-1 West Ham

• Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea

Tim Oscroft
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Reuters

It is hard to see any way that Southampton can clamber to safety on the evidence of their 4-0 loss at home to Brighton, despite having 36 points to play for.

Lesley Ugochukwu's booking for a reckless challenge on Joao Pedro just under two minutes into the game set the tone, and Southampton captain Jan Bednarek did not make it beyond 12 minutes when he was forced off with an injury.

The home side did not have any touches of the ball in Brighton's penalty area in the first half, and only managed five after the break.

Kamaldeen Sulemana's shot after 69 minutes was their only attempt on target in the match, and the way Georginio Rutter and Kaoru Mitoma sliced through the defence to extend Brighton's lead epitomised the woes at St Mary's.

They have conceded three or more goals in home Premier League games on nine occasions this season, and visits to Chelsea and Liverpool loom in their next two outings.

The margin of defeat would have been even wider for Southampton had Ramsdale not denied Carlos Baleba and Yankuba Minteh with some last-ditch saves in the closing minutes as Saints threatened to fall apart completely.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton manager Ivan Juric, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It was just a huge difference, there is nothing more to say, really from the beginning to the end there was an incredible difference between two teams. It was an awful game, a disaster and we played really bad."

On going man-for-man: "We wanted to play like this, it was not good today, I think the players wanted to do it but individually they were much better than us.

"Everything disappointed me today because we were no good before, later I think for me, my staff, the players it is a really bad moment and we did a really bad game."

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton have picked up just four points from their 13 home matches in the Premier League this season (P13 W1 D1 L11).

Only one team in top-flight history has picked up fewer points at home at this stage of the season – Sunderland in 2006/07 (3 points – P13 W0 D3 L10).

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Southampton's performance

What did you make of Brighton's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

There does not seem much point talking about Southampton.

I must say it every week but I could not think of anything worse than being a Saints fan at the moment, and I really feel for them.

It is just sheer loyalty that is making them turn up for matches at the moment because they only get more misery when they do.

Brighton have been quite inconsistent this season - well, until their back-to-back wins over Chelsea last week anyway - and that has made them a tricky team to predict.

It is not hard to call this game, though - the Seagulls are going to win and all I have to decide is by how many.

The problem with playing a prediction game is that my guest and the BBC readers are clearly going to go with a Southampton defeat too. I don't think anyone out there will go with a Saints win, will they?

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

There are seven Premier League games on Saturday, and we will bring you every moment.

• Everton v Manchester United (12:30)

• Bournemouth v Wolves

• Ipswich v Tottenham

• Southampton v Brighton

• Arsenal v West Ham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Fulham v Crystal Palace

• Aston Villa v Chelsea (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live (coverage will start on 5 Sports Extra)

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

The latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Saints and Sinners is available now on BBC Sounds.

Tom Deacon chats with BBC Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore about the latest news from St Mary's.

The team are also joined by former Saints goalkeeper and 1976 FA Cup winner Ian Turner, as well as Brighton fan Stephen Grant to look ahead to the game against the Seagulls this weekend.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on the things going on at Southampton that are being overlooked.

Here are some of your comments:

Dave: Watching Bournemouth and Brighton, who have both turned their clubs into very credible Premier League teams, why can't the Saints learn from them and get our club back on track?

Ray: What I'm surprised at is why no one is talking about the fact that Ivan Juric has a worse record than Nathan Jones. Jones was hounded out of the club and Juric seems to be getting a free pass. Juric's football is terrible to watch. If he's the manager next season, I won't be renewing my season ticket.

Matthew: Removing Russell Martin was a mistake. Many of the players loved him, his man-management, and they worked hard for him. His style needed tweaking, it was a pity he was too stubborn to change just a little bit, but we won't find another manager who creates as positive an atmosphere around the club as he did or plays as attractive football as he did. The results were poor, but we're quickly becoming a poisoned chalice for managers. Perhaps we should have kept him at the helm despite the inevitability of relegation and maintained the long-term vision, because the short-term attempt at fixing it has failed.

Mike: It's likely that most of our better players will leave. I'm including Dibling, Fernandes, Walker-Peters, Ramsdale and Sulemana on that list. But if Saints are going to bounce back and become an established Premier League team again, we need to keep these players and add quality elsewhere. Which means getting rid of Bednarek, Stephens, Manning, Bree, Downes, Aribo, Armstrong. These are the players that have failed us. But I suspect they will linger. I'm not sure they can be relied on to get us out of the Championship again. But if they do manage it, we are just destined to repeat this horrible season again.

Marissa Thomas
BBC Sport journalist

Southampton boss Ivan Juric has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brighton (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news: "Jack [Stephens] is OK, [Adam] Lallana still not. [Taylor] Harwood-Bellis is still not and [Flynn] Downes is in training with us."

• The Saints boss elaborated on Downes being available for first-team selection after being left out of the past three squads: "We had a really good chat and I think he understands the mistakes and everything. Even now, after everything, I think what I thought when I first came here, that he is a very good player and a good guy who made a mistake. But he's OK, he's fit and training very well."

• On comparisons between Brighton and his Southampton side: "It's a perfect way of operating. When you are in the Premier League and you have more years, you have a greater opportunity to create great players - this is the big difference to us and [fellow promoted sides] Ipswich and Leicester."

• He added: "They [Brighton] are eight years there [in the Premier League]. Every year they can buy new players, sell well and then buy more new players to create something important in the team. Even if they change their managers - from [Graham] Potter to [Roberto] De Zerbi and then now, they are still good."

• On competing with Brighton: "Bournemouth isn't like Brighton but it is similar in some moments of the game. The team were fighting and when we have intensity we can compete with Brighton, Bournemouth, anybody."

• When asked if having the backing of the crowd would be important against Brighton, Juric said: "At this moment, they [the fans] are perfect, more than perfect if you consider that at this moment we are bottom of the table. All that has happened and they are [still] really great."

• On the reaction of supporters during their 3-1 home defeat by Bournemouth in their most recent match: "When we started to play good in the second half, the stadium was incredible. They [the fans] are pushing us. When we scored the goal it was really nice to be the coach of the team with the crowd like this."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Saints fans, you know your club best, so we want you to tell us the one thing - good or bad - that nobody is talking about at Southampton but really should be.

Let us know here

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton "don't need Tyler Dibling in the Championship", says BBC Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore.

Speaking on the BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast, looking ahead to the Saints' match against Brighton on Saturday, Blackmore said: "[Dibling] turned 19 this week and he is a really good talent. I spoke to him properly for the first time last week and he has a lovely, simple,19-year-old's way of looking at the game.

"I asked him: 'How have you bulked up and got more powerful?' And he said: 'Well, I haven't really. I have just played my football and I just do what I always do. I have always been able to hold defenders off.' He just sees is in a really lovely, simple and clear way.

"I don't think the club can hold on to him when they are relegated. Probably the best thing for the club is he is their most saleable asset. If you are going to save money from relegation, then honestly, you don't need Tyler Dibling in the Championship to go back up, but would you need him in the Premier League.

"I don't think it would be easy for him [in the Premier League] because he is so young, but if you can get £60m for him then you can probably keep most of the other players without worrying about the money.

"It would make sense to me to sell him. It would be gutting for the fans, but it is business. If they have to sell him but they keep Matheus Fernandes, then I would go with that all day long."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Having been unbeaten in their first seven Premier League games against Brighton (W3 D4), Southampton are now winless in their last six against the Seagulls (D3 L3).

Brighton are unbeaten in all six of their Premier League away games against Southampton (W2 D4) – they've only visited West Ham (8) more without ever losing in the competition, while Saints have only hosted Nottingham Forest (7) more often without success.

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

A 20th defeat in 25 league matches. A 10th defeat in 12 at St Mary's. We remain 10 points from safety and the latest loss - a 3-1 humbling at home to Bournemouth - meant it was the first time they have completed the double over us. More unwanted records are falling.

With relegation almost a certainty, the question is: what do we want to see for the remainder of the season? Is it merely to chase down Derby County's 11-point total, to salvage some pride, or maybe to find some minutes for frozen-out Armel Bella-Kotchap?

It is all of the above. But a more pressing concern is team selection. It is way past the time for Ivan Juric to ditch the back three, which has not been working. The midfield is full of holes that need to plugged. He appears just as inflexible as predecessor Russell Martin and seems unable to learn from previous mistakes.

Martin stuck to the same approach, no matter the opponent, and Juric continues to select players out of position to fit his style. Square pegs, round holes - though it is worth noting that the last time we played a flat back four, we were dismantled 5-0 at home by Tottenham.

The Bella-Kotchap situation continues to confuse. He was named among the substitutes for the fifth consecutive game.

He has played 27 minutes all season - at Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup - but still continues to be unused in a set-up missing key centre-backs Jack Stephens and Taylor Harwood-Bellis. Instead, Juric opts for Joe Aribo to fill that void.

We have Flynn Downes still sulking, Adam Armstrong seeking approval elsewhere, loaned-out players thriving, players being used out of position and players who deserve time sitting on the bench.

This situation is a mess - and with Brighton, Chelsea and Liverpool up next, where is the next point coming from?

Find more from Ray Hunt at the In that Number podcast, external

Chris Wise
Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There must be more than a few envious eyes at Southampton right now glancing along the coast at Bournemouth. After all, it was less than a decade ago when Saints were competing in European football. They're now hurtling back towards the Championship, and Bournemouth are quietly preparing themselves for the continent.

The Cherries' victory at St Mary's at the weekend was the first time they'd completed a league double over Southampton, and also provided us with the final piece of evidence that there's been a changing of the guard.

Bournemouth were just a level above Saints for large portions of the game. If they'd shown some ruthlessness, the margin of victory could have been far greater.

No-one at Bournemouth is going to openly say they're genuine European contenders, but they are. They've won 10 of their last 15 games in all competitions, are freely scoring on their travels, and are just a brilliantly coached side.

Bournemouth's consistency is everything Southampton crave right now.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Southampton and Bournemouth.

Here are some of your comments:

Southampton fans:

Freddie: It felt as if we've resolutely condemned ourselves to the Championship already. A distinct lack of quality, aside from Mateus Fernandes, makes me concerned we'll be in a League One relegation fight next season. Onwards and upwards!

Glenn: Ivan Juric used the Nathan Jones, Ruben Selles, Russell Martin tombola number picker rather than player picker. Did not play our best players in best positions! Defending abysmal and the match went pretty much as us Saints supporters predicted! The players must be pretty much devastated and depressed as I know I and many Saints fans are! Sports Republic is responsible with dire recruitment of managers and players!

James: In short, not clinical enough. I will say that the chances of Southampton staying up are slim at best. If Juric had been the manager from the start of the season, then he would've been able to form his own identity in regards to the team, then in terms of the season it might've been a different story and they could've had more of a chance of beating the drop.

Ryan: Another toothless performance. Professional display from Bournemouth but we didn't really give them too many problems to think about. Allowing the opposition to go 2-0 up early on never gives us the best platform to compete and our poor starts are just one of the things that need to be eradicated if we're to seriously bounce back next year at the first time of asking.

Bournemouth fans:

Mark: Wow, the Cherries dream of Europe continues. The spirit, the never say die attitude continues. The atmosphere was brilliant from the away fans - we all have the belief we will do this. It's no longer a dream, it's becoming a reality. Bring on European nights at the Vitality! Well done, Andoni, Bill and everyone connected to AFCB! What a time to be a Cherry.

Matt: A convincing victory over local rivals, and a welcome first double. Not too shabby for a side lacking any recognised striker. Players coming back from injury can only reinforce our European football credentials.

Simon: Brilliant to do the double over Saints for first time in our club's history. Christie was magnificent. It's great he scored one and got an assist too! Christie's shooting more recently but has been very unlucky with hitting the post. Cherries were clinical up top and did well to get a third when a short period of sloppy play in second half let an otherwise poor Saints back into the game. Important three points to keep the European football possibility alive!

Ben: The first half was all Bournemouth and we should have made even more of the chances we had. For 20 minutes in the second we seemed to take our foot off a bit and suddenly it was Southampton winning the second balls. When they scored it was a little nervy. But our third was well deserved and killed the game off - impact off the bench yet again. Being a Cherries fan at the moment is a bit of a dream.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Southampton player Jo Tessem believes the academy is not producing talent of the same quality as it used to, falling behind Bournemouth and Brighton.

Speaking on BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast, Tessem said: "Southampton used to have one of the best academies in terms of producing talent - I'm not seeing that any more.

"Luke Shaw is still the last one who came out of it. [Tyler] Dibling is the next one - but it's 10 years later.

"We used to have it on a yearly basis, a new talent coming through from the academy.

"Sports Republic has also learned a lesson about what the Premier League is about. You have got to invest."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from Friday's game between Brighton and Chelsea.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Man City 4-0 Newcastle

• Crystal Palace 1-2 Everton

The latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast has landed.

Listen to Adam Blackmore and Jo Tessem discuss the increasing gap between Southampton and Bournemouth as well as the need for fundamental changes at the Saints after suffering a 3-1 defeat at home to the Cherries.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds