Leicester City’s battle to avoid the drop received a significant boost last weekend as they hammered Newcastle United 3-0 on home soil, but their fight is far from over and the Foxes will face a stern test in the shape of Southampton this weekend, who also still have something to play for.

The Saints were fortunate in the sense that their surprising 2-1 defeat away to Sunderland didn’t change anything in terms of the gap between them and finishing in a spot for Europa League qualification, as their closest rivals Tottenham Hotspur also lost 1-0 at home to Manchester City.

Ronald Koeman’s men can take confidence from the fact that Spurs don’t have it easy this weekend either, as they face a tricky trip to Stoke, while a victory in the East Midlands can also close the gap on fifth-placed Liverpool to a point, with the Reds facing a tough match against champions Chelsea.

However, this will by no means be a walk in the park for Southampton, with Leicester in red hot form as they seek to avoid relegation from the Premier League at the first attempt. Nigel Pearson’s side have won five out of their last six games, with the only blip coming against the Blues at home.

Despite that superb run of form – a sequence most teams at the top would be proud of – Leicester are still just one point above the drop zone, though at least they know their fate is in their own hands, with their final two fixtures after this match against fellow strugglers Sunderland and QPR.

Southampton’s form, by contrast, has been indifferent of late, with just one win in their last five games as the pressure of emulating a top side has seemingly caught up with a team that initially wowed and impressed football fans and pundits alike after having been gutted in the summer transfer window.

The Saints will go into this game without the services of highly-rated youngster James Ward-Prowse through suspension, which will be a big blow considering many within the club believe that the midfielder will become a staple in the England side in the not so distant future.

With a final day match against Manchester City – who could still be in the hunt for second place at that stage – Southampton need results against both Leicester and Aston Villa in their next two games if they are to realistically secure a place in Europe next season. The bookies believe the Saints are slight underdogs going into this match at 19/10, with Leicester at 17/10 and the draw at 12/5.

The two figurehead strikers for either side will likely be the ones to watch here, with Leicester’s Leonardo Ulloa and Southampton’s Graziano Pelle in good form recently. Both men are 6/1 to score first, while Ulloa is 2/1 to score anytime compared to the 9/4 available on the Italian finding the net.