Southampton v Villa preview

Christian Benteke: Striker could make his first start for Aston Villa against Southampton

Opta Facts

• Saints have conceded the joint-most goals after four games of any team in Premier League history (14 along with Swindon in 1993-94).
• Saints have suffered only 19 fouls so far this season, fewer than any other team in the division.
• Aston Villa have the joint-worst disciplinary record so far in the Premier League with Liverpool with nine yellow cards and one red.

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Something will have to give at St Mary's when Southampton chase a first point of the season against an Aston Villa side still seeking a cure for their travel sickness.

Knee-jerk talk of the sack has been swirling around the South Coast this week following Saints' start to the season, but manager Nigel Adkins has been wisely ignoring the scaremongers.

Though four defeats from four games is not the start Adkins would have wished for on the club's return to the top flight, few teams in the bottom half of the table will emerge from games against Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal unscathed.

Saints pushed City and United all the way in losing both games 3-2, although a 6-1 thrashing at Emirates Stadium last week did bring home the harsh reality of life back among the elite.

However, Adkins would do well to take solace from the exploits of the Southampton team from 1998/99 which also lost their opening four games before going on to achieve survival.

The Villa incarnation of 1997/98 pulled off the same trick, while the present day side are starting to pick up following Paul Lambert's summer appointment and recorded a first win when beating Swansea City 2-0 at home last weekend.

Lambert has been putting an emphasis on youth since taking charge after handing several players the chance to step up from the Football League to the Premier League.

It was a tactic he employed successfully at Norwich City last season and, with a couple of overseas recruits in the shape of Ron Vlaar and Christian Benteke, has a squad laden with enthusiasm.

Villa are without a win in 10 away games stretching back to last season, and have scored only four goals during that run.

The last time the two clubs met in the Premier League was in 2005 when Villa came from 2-0 down to win 3-2, with the decisive goal scored by Steven Davis, who joined Saints from Rangers in the summer.Record signing Gaston Ramirez and fellow new boy Maya Yoshida could both be handed their first starts for Southampton.

Ramirez arrived from Bologna before the transfer window closed and made his debut for Saints as a half-time replacement for Steven Davis against Arsenal.

Yoshida was an even earlier introduction as a sub last weekend and he could come into the side for Jos Hooiveld, who picked up a calf injury in the 6-1 thrashing, but is optimistic of being fit.Villa manager Paul Lambert could be tempted to hand Benteke his first Premier League start following the striker's goalscoring cameo last week.

The Belgium international came off the bench to net the second in Villa's 2-0 win over Swansea and is vying for a place alongside Darren Bent.

Lambert has Chris Herd and Fabian Delph available after injuries but Marc Albrighton (foot) is not quite ready and Richard Dunne (groin) and Gary Gardner (ligaments) are long-term absentees.