Shane Long scored a stoppage-time winner as Southampton squeezed past Norwich City in an FA Cup third-round replay at St Mary's Stadium on Wednesday night.
Relieved to have progressed past the Championship club, Claude Puel's men can again turn their attentions to the Premier League and Sunday's showdown with defending champions Leicester City.
The Foxes suffered a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea last weekend and Claudio Ranieri's charges will hope that the trip to Hampshire will prove to be more profitable – but Leicester have a poor record on the road in the Premier League this season.
Indeed, the visitors have failed to win a top-flight fixture away from home since April, while they have been beaten in seven of their 10 Premier League matches on the road thus far; the odds-compilers offer 7/2 (4.50) that Leicester take all three points on their travels for the first time this season, while Paddy Power go 23/10 (3.30) that Ranieri's men settle for a share of the spoils at St Mary's.
Southampton boast a strong record on home soil; they men have been beaten in just three of their last 22 home ties in all competitions and are chalked up as Paddy Power's 10/11 (1.91) favourites to pick up all three points.
Each of the Saints' last six home victories has come by a single-goal margin and Paddy Power offer 23/10 (3.30) that the trend continues in this match, while the same firm offer 5/1 (6.0) that the hosts win 1-0 – a selection that would have seen punters profit from each of Southampton's last five domestic wins on home soil.
Leicester will be without Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani, both of whom are on international duty at the African Cup of Nations. The Foxes, who have scored more than one goal in just one of their last 12 Premier League away fixtures, may struggle to make much headway against a Saints side who have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven domestic fixtures on home soil.
The 8/13 (1.63) quote for fewer than three goals to be scored is somewhat skinny, though, and, therefore, punters are advised to snap up the 10/11 (1.91) quote for Saints to heap yet more away-day misery on the Foxes by taking maximum points.
