Southampton go in search of their first home win of the 2020/21 season when they welcome newly-promoted West From on Sunday, with Ralph Hasenhüttl highlighting what he feels will be the keys to his side earning three points.
Saints got their campaign up and running last Saturday night, when they produced a valuable 1-0 win away to Burnley, and they now have the opportunity to make it back-to-back victories ahead of the latest international break.
Hasenhüttl has felt the value of another full week on the training pitch with his squad, and is anticipating an interesting test from a West Brom side coming off a 3-3 home draw with Chelsea, a result that took the goal tally from their first three Premier League matches of the season up to 16.
"It's been a longer week, starting on Tuesday, so we've had some time to work on a few things, and I think it was important to win against Burnley,” said the Saints manager. “That felt good, but we now want to make it even better on the weekend, against a strong opponent.
“We're fully focused after Tuesday when we had the debrief on the opposition, and I think we have a good job to do on the weekend.”
Hasenhüttl added: ”With the ball, we again need some good automatism and using the spaces in the right moment, coming into the spaces where you can hurt them, and on the other side pay attention to their transition.
“I think that's very important. They have a good transition after winning the ball, so we will definitely have to have a good organisation against the ball and a good rest defence, and in the end also hopefully the few chances you get you must be very clinical, because I think you don't get a lot of them.”
ralph hasenhüttl
it will be a different game now on the weekend.
on facing west brom
In general, Hasenhüttl has been pleased with the development his team has been making over the course of the opening weeks, and is hopeful they can continue to trend upward on Sunday.
“We were definitely better defending [at Burnley], in possession also – good game management, I think,” he said.
“But it will be a different game now on the weekend definitely. It will be an interesting game I think, against a strong side, with good quality in the offence and interesting results in the beginning of the season. They're a promoted team, so it can be a tough game I think.”
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