Match Pack: Saints vs Norwich
Saints are at home for the first time in 2023/24, as Norwich head to the south coast. Get set for Saturday's St Mary's showdown with our Match Pack...
THE MATCH
Saints vs Norwich
Sky Bet Championship
St Mary’s Stadium
Saturday 12th August, 3pm BST
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Darren England
Assistants: Marc Perry, Derek Eaton
Fourth official: Lewis Smith
WHAT KIT WILL SAINTS BE WEARING?
Saints will be in their red and white striped home kit, with black shorts and white socks.
HOW TO WATCH?
International fans can watch the game on Saints Play, our new streaming service.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Having made the perfect start at Sheffield Wednesday last Friday, Saints will be determined for a repeat performance on home soil.
With ticket sales edging towards a sell-out, Russell Martin’s side will want to remain as one of the early pace setters in the Championship but will face a stern test in the Canaries.
David Wagner’s side claimed a 2-1 win over Hull on the opening day, with Jonathan Rowe’s equaliser the stage-setter for Adam Idah to net the winner in the 96th minute.
TEAM NEWS
Russell Martin revealed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that James Ward-Prowse is nearing a move away from the club so will play no part against the Canaries, whilst Armel Bella-Kotchap, who lacks match fitness, and Kamaldeen Sulemana, who is injured, will also be absent.
Left out on the opening weekend, Norwich full-back Max Aarons completed a move to Premier League outfit Bournemouth on Thursday, the only notable absentee for the visitors.
THE MANAGERS
Russell Martin: "They’re aggressive, difficult to play against and can do both sides of the game really well, in terms of in possession and out of possession, so it will be a really tough game and it’s a brilliant challenge for us."
David Wagner: "Nobody knows how the game will look like. If we have to have a situation where we can break them on the counter we will do, if we have a lot of ball possession like we had in the last game we will take thew ball possession. We are quite adaptable."
ONES TO WATCH
Will Smallbone: Ready to make a first competitive St Mary’s appearance since April 2022, the Academy graduate will likely continue to be a key cog in Russell Martin’s starting eleven on Saturday.
Playing in the number six position at Sheffield Wednesday last week, the Republic of Ireland international made 141 passes at Hillsborough, with a completion rate of over 96 percent, making Saints tick en route to victory.
Gabriel Sara: Norwich’s Player of the Season in 2022/23, Sara made a strong start to this campaign with an all-action display against Hull last weekend.
Creating two big changes and winning eight of his 10 duels, the Brazilian will be tasked with breaking up Saints’ possession-based approach.
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 107
Saints: 43
Draws: 30
Norwich: 34
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
February 2022: Saints 2-0 Norwich (Adams, Romeu)
November 2021: Norwich 2-1 Saints (Adams)
June 2020: Norwich 0-3 Saints (Ings, S. Armstrong, Redmond)
December 2019: Saints 2-1 Norwich (Ings, Bertrand)
January 2017: Saints 1-0 Norwich (Long)
KEEP UP TO DATE
Can't make the game? We’ve got you covered! We’ll bring you all the behind-the-scenes content alongside the in-game action.
Check out our interactive match centre at southamptonfc.com, with live streaming of the game for international fans, key updates and audio commentary of the match, and be sure to download the official Saints app and follow us on social media for further updates and exclusive content:
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