Southampton’s 2022-23 Premier League season will start with a match against the 4th-placed team from the 2021-22 season, Tottenham Hotspur. Find out what the Saints have in their sleeves and how they can fare against one of the consistent giants in the Premier League.  

After a 15th place finish in the previous run, Southampton is brewing a strong campaign for the 2022–23 season. They have a lofty test in front of them with Spurs as their first match. This will be a tactical battle between Saints manager Ralph Hasenhüttl and Spurs head honcho Antonio Conte. Find out what is in store in this match and see how it can turn out for the Saints. 

The players to watch for Southampton

The Saints have a solid core since they thrived in the previous EPL season and they’re bringing in their experience to the 22/23 campaign. The players to watch out for in the Southampton lineup involves two of their biggest stars that are expected to go all-out in their first match of the season as you can see below:

• James Ward-Prowse - The club captain was the best-performing player on the Saints squad during the 2021-22 season. Ward-Prowse is a midfielder but he was the leading goal-scorer for the Saints with 10 points during the previous campaign. He will be the one to watch, especially with his ability to make plays and score on free kicks just like what he did against Brighton in April 2022.

• Ché Adams - With Armando Broja leaving the club, Adams is the de facto biggest goal-scoring threat on the pitch for the Saints. Every year that he played in the Prem, he has improved and this match against Spurs will be a big opportunity for him to perform just like when he scored in the same matchup during the 3-2 upset in February 2022.

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What Southampton has to watch out for 

Since Spurs will be their first opponent, the Saints will be in for a tough match because Tottenham is coming into the 2022-23 campaign with a stronger squad than before. They still have their core from previous seasons but they also added Richarlison to the team who will be a big threat on the wing. 

Son Heung-min and Harry Kane are still the two biggest threats on the Spurs squad as they score goals every game and their chemistry is off the charts. They need to be the main targets for the Southampton defenders because if they’re stopped, the Saints will get three points.

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How Southampton have to play to win the match

Southampton has to be aggressive with their attack so they can surprise the Spurs defence. They will have a strong backline and they’re flanked by an elite goalkeeper in Hugo Lloris. Adams can be a huge threat as a goal-scorer and he can serve as a decoy for the team thus his productivity and his movements will be needed by the Saints.

Ward-Prowse will have to work with the rest of the playmakers on the team like Tino Livramento to cement a Saints win in this tough opening match for the 2022-23 season. 

Southampton is set to have a big season

With Ward-Prowse and Adams on the team to represent Hasenhüttl, the Saints are in for a strong bounce-back campaign. If you want to root for a dark horse heading into the 2022-23 Premier League season, watch out for Southampton because they are ready to pull off some surprises.

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Words: Cholo Martin