Southampton vs Brentford: TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction

Southampton follow up their midweek excursions by hosting a well-rested Brentford side in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

While the Saints earned a creditable 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park on Wednesday evening, Brentford were forced to sit out the school night round of fixtures after Manchester United's Covid-outbreak postponed their game scheduled for Tuesday.

Here's all you need to know about the upcoming match, should it go ahead as planned that is.

How to watch Southampton vs Brentford on TV/live stream

When is kick off? Saturday 18 December, 15:00 (GMT)
Where is the match being played? St Mary's Stadium
TV channel/live stream? Peacock (US), DAZN (Canada)
Highlights? Sky Sports YouTube Channel, Match of the Day (BBC One 10.25pm - UK)
Referee? Michael Salisbury
VAR? Jarred Gillett

Southampton team news

Ralph Hasenhuttl has been lumbered with a spate of injuries just as the festive fixture list cranks into overdrive, most damagingly of all, perhaps, at goalkeeper. With Alex McCathy out for a month or so and Fraser Forster still a doubt, 40-year-old Willy Caballero has been drafted in on a short term deal.

While Stuart Armstrong is yet to return to training from a calf injury, his fellow Scotland international (Mc)Che Adams is a doubt after missing Southampton's last two outings with a hamstring concern Hasenhuttl described as 'strange'.

The midweek draw came too soon for Adam Armstrong, but the striker may have recovered from a minor issue to feature this weekend.

You can read Southampton's predicted lineup here.

Brentford team news

Thomas Frank confirmed in his press conference on Thursday that 13 players and staff have returned positive Covid tests in recent days, though did not disclose who they were.

Dependant on the results of those tests, the Bees will be able to welcome Sergi Canos back from his one-game suspension following the Friday night victory over Watford. Ivan Toney joins his Spanish teammate back in the fold after recovering from his Covid-enforced absence, though centre back Ethan Pinnock has taken his place on the sidelines with the same concern.

While David Raya (knee) and Kristoffer Ajer (thigh) continue to work their way back to fitness, Mathias 'Zanka' Jorgensen's niggling complaint behind his knee has to be assessed weekly.

Long-term absentees Julian Jeanvier and Josh Dasilva are at the very early stages of their respective recoveries.

You can read Brentford's predicted lineup here.

Southampton vs Brentford head-to-head record

Even though this campaign represent's Brentford's first since in the Premier League since the competition's inception, these pair of red and white stripes have met recently, duking it out in last season's Carabao Cup.

Brentford won that tie, against a near-full strength Saints, 2-0 at St Mary's - the same scoreline they achieved in their most recent league meeting, back in December 2010 when both sides were in England's third tier.

Southampton vs Brentford score prediction

Southampton, chiefly by virtue of their decade-long streak in the Premier League, go into the contest against newly promoted Brentford as favourites - but only narrowly so.

Following a sticky patch of four consecutive league defeats as October bled into November - a run in which their performances certainly warranted more points - the Bees have lost one of their last five - a sequence the Saints can only look at in envy from their own underwhelming stretch of form.

Prediction: Southampton 1-1 Brentford