Southampton vs Crystal Palace predictions: Mateta to punish sorry Saints
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- Crystal Palace have won 10 of their 13 matches in 2025
- Southampton have conceded 39 goals in 14 home league games
- Recommended bet: Jean-Philippe Mateta first goalscorer
Southampton's stay of execution in the Premier League is nearly over with the Saints 17 points adrift with only nine games remaining.
April looks certain to be the month in which the sorry Saints' relegation is confirmed and an in-form Crystal Palace side could push the south coast club closer to the brink at St Mary's.
Team news
Southampton hope to have defender James Bree and midfielder Will Smallbone available but they will check on the fitness of Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Ross Stewart has been involved in first-team training and could feature in Ivan Juric's matchday squad.
Will Hughes missed Crystal Palace's FA Cup quarter-final win over Fulham at the weekend but may be back after an illness.
However, Chadi Riad, Cheick Doucoure and Joel Ward are expected to miss out for the Eagles.
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The stats
Southampton have lost 12 of their 14 home Premier League matches this season, conceding a league-high 39 goals in the process.
Saints boss Juric has presided over one victory and 11 defeats in the league since replacing Russell Martin in late December.
Crystal Palace won only four of their first 19 league outings this season but have triumphed in six of their first nine in 2025.
Only Liverpool (11) have won more league and cup matches since the turn of the year than the Eagles' 10 and they have kept eight clean sheets in that time — the most of any top-flight side.
Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored eight of his 12 Premier League goals in the Eagles' last eight league outings.
Prediction
Few sides in England are running as hot as Crystal Palace right now and the Eagles should face few problems chalking up an 11th win of 2025 against a doomed Southampton side.
The Saints have been resigned to their fate for some time now and ensuring they do not go down as the worst side in Premier League history is arguably their only remaining viable target.
Southampton need three more points from their final nine matches to spare themselves that ignominy but they are unlikely to get any against in-form Palace, who have their sights set on a top-half finish.
French striker Mateta has been central to Palace’s resurgence during the second half of the campaign and he returned from four weeks on the sidelines in Saturday's impressive 3-0 win at Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Mateta has already netted in away league wins at Ipswich, West Ham, Leicester and Manchester United this season and the 27-year-old could set the Eagles on their way to three points at St Mary's.
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