Southampton play host to Grimsby Town in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday evening as they bid to find some consistency under new head coach Ruben Selles.

At a time when the Saints sit at the bottom of the Premier League standings, Grimsby are in 16th spot in League Two and will be sensing another upset in this competition.

A 1-0 loss against relegation rivals Leeds, for a tenth defeat in their last 12 Premier League (PL) matches (W2), ensured Southampton ended the day bottom of the PL for the 69th time this season!

Securing their top-flight safety appears increasingly unlikely, but the FA Cup has been a welcome distraction for the Saints. They’ve progressed from their last three FA Cup fifth-round ties and could reach a third consecutive quarter-final for the first time since 1899/00 if they can negotiate the threat of League Two side Grimsby in the first H2H since January 1978.

Southampton have a history of doing well against lower-league teams, having lost just one of their last 32 FA Cup matches against such sides (W25, D6). Manager Rubén Sellés will hope his team can live up to that tradition as Southampton’s last four competitive home wins have all come in cup competitions.

That’s easier said than done though, as Grimsby have lost their last four FA Cup matches against Premier League opponents. Paul Hurst’s side could be all geared up to change that narrative though, as a single loss across their last four away games (W2, D1) raises hopes of executing another giant killing on the south coast.

Players to watch: James Ward-Prowse getting on the scoresheet could be a good omen for Southampton, as his last three league strikes and five career FA Cup goals have come in wins. Looking to outshine the Saints skipper could be Grimsby’s Harry Clifton, who has directly contributed to four FA Cup goals contributions this season.

Hot stat: Southampton have scored first in seven of their last ten FA Cup home matches.

Southampton FA Cup form:

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Southampton form (all competitions):

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Grimsby Town FA Cup form:

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Grimsby Town form (all competitions):

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Southampton possible starting lineup:

Caballero; Walker-Peters, Caleta-Car, Salisu, Perraud; Walcott, Ward-Prowse, Diallo, Elyounoussi; Sulemana, Mara

Grimsby Town possible starting lineup:

Crocombe; Efete, Waterfall, Maher; Emmanuel, Holohan, Hunt, Driscoll-Glennon; Clifton, McAtee; Orsi

With Southampton likely to make alterations, Grimsby will be optimistic about taking full advantage. However, for all their struggles, the Saints still possess a talented squad, and they should have enough quality to make relatively light work of their next opponents.