You can't say that's an unfair dismissal at all really. Regardless of whether there was intent to injure - and surely there wasn't at all - it was a dangerous, bad foul. 

Image source, Reuters

Marko Arnautovic is heading off for an early bath - for a studs-up challenge on Sofiane Boufal. 

It was late, a real bad one. Boufal looks OK to carry on but Stoke are down to 10.

They've started well, Southampton. Some lovely touches on the ball and Nathan Redmond, Sofiane Boufal and James Ward-Prowse are doing a very good job of keeping it between them. They look dangerous with Ryan Bertrand and Cuco Martina on the overlap too.

No serious chances to speak of yet though.

A touch is all it needs... A great cross across the six-yard area from Ryan Bertrand evades everyone in the box. 

Southampton recycle possession, and some patient build-up play works another chance for Bertrand to deliver from the left - this time Bruno Martins Indi can toe away for a corner. 

Excellent pressure from the away side.

Jon Walters lobs a volley square into Fraser Forster's grateful arms from just outside the box. The man most relieved will be Southampton's right-back Cuco Martina, who for some reason hit a clearance straight to the Stoke forward, under no pressure at all.

Direct. Southampton are wasting no time getting their shots in. Shane Long with the latest attempt, stuck on the stretch, which is comfortably wide. Could he have perhaps taken a touch there?

Before that, great battling from Sofiane Boufal to win the ball back after a couple of tricks he pulls in the box don't quite come off.

Image source, Reuters

A clever run from Joe Allen finds space in the Stoke box and all it needs is a nice little weighted pass. Xherdan Shaqiri obliges, and Allen forces Fraser Forster into a save at his near post, the Southampton keeper booting the ball out for a corner.

From the corner, Charlie Adam launches himself into an overhead kick with a predictable outcome.

You send a ball long over the top for Shane Long, we'll try and hit Jonathan Walters with the same. 

Nothing too dramatic about the early exchanges. Although Shane Long being penalised after Bruno Martins Indi appears to catch him on the nose is a bit of a puzzler.

Jose Fonte leading a very animated Southampton huddle. A lot of pointing at heads, mostly his own. 

And we are under way.

Claude Puel really making those epaulettes work for him. Sparky - on his 400th game as a Premier League manager, goes for the traditional club tie.

One final stretch, one last smear of tiger balm, the clatter of studs in a tight hallway as kick-off time enters centre-stage. 

Here we go... 

Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender

It is a big blow for Southampton that their top scorer Charlie Austin is out for a few months with a shoulder injury, and I don't see them finding a way past Stoke.

Prediction: 2-1

Lawro's full predictions v Fighting Talk host Colin Murray

• Think you can do better than Lawro? Predict the score for this match and the rest of this round's Premier League fixtures in our Predictor game

App users may have to click 'view more' to see this tweet from injured Stoke keeper Jack Butland.

Tony Husband
BBC South Today sports editor

These two sides sit side by side in the Premier League, and the table doesn't lie when it comes to this pair.

Stoke have recovered from a poor start to lose only two of their last 10.

There's a lot of talk about a lack of atmosphere at the Bet 365 Stadium this season. It's hardly a fortress; Mark Hughes' side have won only three times in seven home outings.

Nothing should surprise us about Southampton's campaign. Claude Puel has rotated his way to an EFL Cup semi-final and 10th place in the table but fans were bitterly disappointed to exit Europe last week.

Their season has been marked by some indifferent away performances, so Stoke start favourites for me in this one.

• Stoke suffered only their second league defeat in 10 games at Arsenal on Saturday (W5, D3, L2).
• The Potters have won three of their last four Premier League fixtures at the Bet365 Stadium
• They have only failed to score in one of their last 11 league matches: the 1-0 home defeat by Bournemouth.

• Saints have only won one of their seven Premier League away games this season, and none of the last four (W1, D2, L4).
• However, Southampton have only allowed their opponents 37 shots on target in the Premier League this season, fewer than any other side.
• Their record of six clean sheets is only bettered by leaders Chelsea, with eight.

Southampton

Image source, PA

Southampton manager Claude Puel: "We finished with a very good result in our last game [against Middlesbrough] and now it's important to find a good regularity for the next game and to take all the points.

"To win the last game after a big disappointment in a European game shows the strong character of my team.

"To continue this work and to stay now in the first part of the table is very important for us."

• Stoke have won just one of their previous four Premier League home games against Southampton, and only three of their last 14 in all competitions.
• Southampton have scored in each of those 14 visits to Stoke since a 1-0 defeat in the old Division Two in August 1977.

Stoke City

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes: "To get 400 games under my belt, and with the management team I've got, is a lot of experience which is invaluable. You can't replace that.

"There's not too much I haven't seen or experienced, but it never stops.

"You are trying to look ahead and pre-empt things and, if you can do that and with the experience we've got because you recognise the signs, that can help you and how you manage the group."