“Just about nick this…” - Sky Sports pundit shares prediction ahead of Preston vs Southampton | OneFootball

David Prutton has backed Southampton to continue their strong recent form when they take on Preston at Deepdale on Wednesday night.

Ryan Lowe’s Preston look to bounce back

After a brilliant start to the campaign, North End have slipped down the table after failing to win in their previous five games.

That included resounding defeats to West Brom, Leicester and Ipswich, which was perhaps an indication that Ryan Lowe’s side aren’t yet capable of competing with the best in the division.

However, they will have a chance to prove that’s not the case against the Saints, who were one of the favourites for promotion before a ball was kicked this season, and they were in the play-off places going into the midweek round of fixtures.

A 1-1 draw at home to Millwall last time out ended the losing streak for Preston, and they will take encouragement from the fact they’ve picked up 13 points from the six games on their own patch.

Southampton start to find form

As mentioned, Russell Martin’s side were expected to be in the mix for automatic promotion, but they had an alarming run earlier in the season, which prompted questions about the boss.

However, an impressive victory over Leeds was a catalyst for a return to form, and they’ve now picked up ten points from their previous four games, which included a last-gasp win over Hull on Saturday.

Martin will still feel his side have another gear or two in them, but he will be impressed with the mentality his side have shown in recent weeks.

What has David Prutton predicted for Preston vs Southampton?

With these sides separated by just a single point in the Championship, it’s fair to say that most will expect a close game at Deepdale.

And, that’s what Sky Sports pundit Prutton thinks as well, as he went for a narrow away win when making his prediction.

“It is no wins in five now for Preston. They are still right up there in the top six, but that could slip away quickly unless they learn how to win again.

“That is something Southampton have done. The aberration against Rotherham aside, it is 10 points from 12. And they need to keep going to close the gap on the top two. I think they’ll just about nick this one. 0-1.”

The visitors will start as slight favourites for the clash, and they went into the midweek games with the third-best away record in the league, having won four of their first six on their travels.

How important is this game?

Even though there’s a lot of football to be played this season, this feels like a very big game for both teams.

Firstly, Preston will want to show that they can beat one of the better sides in the league, so this is a great opportunity in front of their own fans.

Meanwhile, Southampton still aren’t totally convincing, but there’s no doubt they’ve turned the corner in recent weeks, and it’s about keeping that momentum going as they look to consolidate their place in the top six, and potentially catch the top two.