‘All things considered’ – Mark Lawrenson predicts result of Everton clash v Southampton
Everton are set for a close game when they take on Southampton this weekend and Mark Lawrenson has made his prediction for BBC Sport.
The Toffees will be looking to build on their excellent 3-0 win over Leeds last weekend when they travel to St Mary’s, with Frank Lampard’s side looking for their first away win in the league since August.
Southampton are in good form currently and while Everton are keen to pull away from the relegation battle they find themselves in after their poor start to the season, Lawrenson is expecting a 1-1 draw on the day.
“Everton got the performance and the result they needed against Leeds last weekend, and that was a huge win for them,” he said.
“Now their next target is to improve their form away from Goodison Park because they have won only once on the road all season, and that was back in August. Burnley are the only top-flight team to have picked up fewer points on their travels.
“I wouldn’t underestimate Southampton, either. They have only lost once at home in 2021-22 and are a tough nut to crack at St Mary’s, as the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United have already found out.
“All things considered, Everton boss Frank Lampard will probably be happier if his side just make themselves a little harder to beat.”
Draw is a positive
While Everton will obviously prefer to take all three points with them back to Merseyside, a draw can be seen as a positive so long as the performance is good too.
Defeat to Newcastle in their last away game left plenty to be desired and with the form at home, there are some concerns about how much those performances could affect them.
Lampard has made them much better going forward already, scoring eight goals in their three games together, but defensively he needs them to improve even more if he’s to guide them to safety.
Southampton are a good, high intensity side with similarities to Leeds so there is certainly a path to victory for them but their good form and defensive solidity will make it a harder game.
Overall a draw would likely be seen as a point gained rather than two dropped, but if they really want safety to be secured quickly then they need all three.
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