Southampton will go in search of a fifth straight victory in the Championship when they make the trip to Carrow Road on New Year’s Day to tackle Norwich City.
The Saints, who are up in third spot in the Championship table, will enter the contest off the back of a 2-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle, while Norwich were beaten 1-0 at Millwall last time out.
Norwich will be pleased to be back on home soil on Monday, as they will enter this contest off the back of successive 1-0 defeats on the road to West Bromwich Albion and Millwall.
David Wagner’s side have dropped into 13th position due to their disappointing festive period, but they are only five points behind sixth-placed Hull City and are capable of embarking on an unbeaten run at any point due to the quality in their squad.
Norwich have won seven of their 12 home Championship matches this season, but they will be welcoming a Southampton side with the third-best away record in the second tier, with the Saints picking up an impressive 22 points on their travels.
The Canaries finished 13th in the Championship last season following their relegation from the Premier League, but they will be expecting to push for a playoff spot this term.
Norwich and Southampton played out a pulsating 4-4 draw in the Championship earlier this season, but the hosts have only beaten Monday’s opponents once in the last seven meetings between the two sides.
Russell Martin’s side have won 15, drawn six and lost four of their 25 league matches this season to collect 51 points, and they are now just three points behind second-placed Ipswich Town.
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season in 20th position, but they are among the favourites to earn promotion from the Championship in 2023-24, and the visitors will be eyeing a fifth straight league win on Monday ahead of a home game with Walsall in the FA Cup.
These two sides last met at Carrow Road during the 2021-22 Premier League season, and it was Norwich that recorded a 2-1 victory on that occasion.
