Football Bet of the Day: Saints can stun struggling Stoke

Southampton are yet to pick up a Premier League win this season, but the EFL Cup has offered some relief for the struggling Saints. Russell Martin’s men downed Cardiff 5-3 in their opening EFL Cup contest, and the south coast side then went on to beat Everton on penalties.

Stoke are a side who have slipped to the wrong end of the Championship table and the Potters, too, will be hoping cup competitions can provide a safe haven. However, Narcis Pelach’s side look to be facing a tough test at St Mary’s on Tuesday (19:45 KO, live on Sky Sports +) and hopes aren’t high for a south coast upset.

Read on for my Football Bet of the Day.

Southampton are sat at the bottom of the Premier League table after collecting only one point from their opening nine top-flight matches.

That couldn’t be considered a wildly harsh reflection of the Saints’ efforts this season, but it can certainly be judged as a little unjust in the context of an St Mary’s EFL Cup tie with Stoke.

Martin’s men only went down 1-0 to the champions Man City at the Etihad on Saturday and, while there are more variables than simply translating that effort, it’s hard to see how the Saints won’t make light work of City.

Southampton really should have beaten Leicester when blowing a 2-0 lead and the Saints have been good enough in attack to find the net against Arsenal, Bournemouth, Brentford and Ipswich this season.

That hasn’t amounted to winning Premier League form, but the south coast side showed they remain a good team when hammering Cardiff 5-3 in the earlier rounds of the EFL Cup.

Clearly that result came when the Saints were eased in class, but that looks much the same on Tuesday night.

Stoke were beaten 2-0 at Sheffield United at the weekend, in what was an energy-sapping contest and the visitors look short of ideas.

Pelach’s side have won only one of their last eight Championship matches and have failed to score a single goal in their last four away days.

The Potters have hit only nine shots on goal in their last four road trips and it’s no surprise that the men from the Potteries have struggled to find the net.

Stoke did score two goals in a 2-2 draw with Bristol City in their last home contest, but the Staffordshire side lost the shot count 28-10 against the Robins and there is no home advantage at St Mary’s.

The Saints’ Premier League class should prove too much for Stoke and it’s unlikely that the Potters attack will crack Southampton’s defence.

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