Pick of the stats: Southampton v Oxford United

[BBC] Southampton and Oxford United will be fighting for points at either end of the Championship table when they meet at St Mary's on Saturday (15:00 GMT). A win will guarantee the Saints a longer stay in the top six, with Wrexham keen to take back the spot against Sheffield United. However Oxford are seeking an escape from their predicament.

They are one point adrift in the bottom three and they will want to avoid watching the gap extend. This will be the first time Southampton have hosted Oxford in a league match since November 1987, in a 3-0 home victory for Chris Nicholl's side in the top-flight. After winning 2-1 in this season's reverse fixture (Boxing Day 2025), Oxford could achieve the league double over Southampton for the first time ever.

Southampton are unbeaten in their last five league games on a Saturday, winning four of them (D1); as many victories as they had in their previous 25 (W4 D7 L14). Oxford are unbeaten in their three away league games on a Saturday under Matt Bloomfield (W1 D2), after losing five of their first six (W1) in the Championship this season. Finn Azaz has been directly involved in four goals in three Championship games against Oxford, with all four of those coming in a single game (2 goals, 2 assists in a 6-2 win for Middlesbrough in November 2024).

[BBC]