TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction

Southampton host high-flying, league-leading Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

The Saints did fall to their first defeat in more than a month last weekend while City extended their advantage atop the table. However, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are one of just four clubs to have avoided defeat against the Sky Blues all season.

Here’s all you need to know about a reunion between two teams that played out a 0-0 stalemate last September.

When is kick off? Saturday 22 January, 17:30 (GMT)
Where is the match being played? St Mary’s Stadium
TV channel/live stream? Sky Sports Main Event (UK), NBC (US), DAZN (Canada)
Highlights? Sky Sports Football YouTube, Match of the Day
Referee? Simon Hooper
VAR? Darren England

Tino Livramento hasn’t appeared for Southampton since Boxing Day / Mike Hewitt/GettyImages

During a tumultuous recovery from a ruptured ACL, Will Smallbone was diagnosed with alopecia. The academy graduate made a warmly received return to the first team in December but has since been suffering from a calf injury.

Tino Livramento’s first involvement of 2022 remains in the balance as Southampton continue to assess his recovery from a knee injury. Theo Walcott and Mohamed Elyounoussi have returned to training after the pair’s COVID layoff.

You can read Southampton’s predicted lineup here.

Nathan Ake was left out of Manchester City’s squad against Chelsea last weekend / Catherine Ivill/GettyImages

Manchester City are one of the few Premier League sides that have tiptoed through the COVID-cancellations during the winter period, despite a number of positive cases within their own ranks – though the club has protected the identities of these individuals.

Nathan Ake, Cole Palmer and Oleksandr Zinchenko were left out of the squad that defeated Chelsea last weekend, leaving their availability decidedly doubtful. Whatever progress Algeria make in the Africa Cup of Nations, their captain Riyad Mahrez is highly unlikely to feature on Saturday for City.

You can read Man City’s predicted lineup here.

Southampton may have earned four points from their last four Premier League meetings with City but they have won just one of the 12 fixtures between the clubs since Pep Guardiola’s arrival in the summer of 2016 (D2 L9).

However, the last three victories Southampton have claimed against City have all come on home soil – not since 2004 have the Saints prevailed against the Sky Blues anywhere other than the south coast.

City may appear imperious at the league’s summit but Southampton were well worth the point they wrestled off the reigning champions in September. Playing an adventurous and well-coordinated high block, the Saints bottlenecked City into their own half, allowing Pep Guardiola’s side a season-low 27 passes into the final third (per FBRef).

However, on that balmy September afternoon City were without their increasingly pivotal pivot Rodri to help pick through the red and white stripes. Playing with the swagger of a team that has won 12 consecutive top flight matches, City may well make it 13 even though Southampton have the capacity to cause them problems.

Prediction: Southampton 0-1 Manchester City