Our look at Saints' last 16 league games of the season continues with a preview of the second batch of four matches:

 

West Bromwich Albion (away) Saturday February 28

The Baggies will be hoping Tony Pulis produces a second successful fight against relegation in as many seasons.

Pulis masterminded Crystal Palace’s escape from the drop in 2013/14, and it was no doubt with that in mind that he was recently appointed in place of the sacked Alan Irvine.

Irvine was dismissed after a 2-0 loss at Stoke on December 28 – the club’s seventh loss in nine league games.

Pulis built his success at Palace on being hard to break down, and the same scenario could be about to unfold at The Hawthorns.

The Baggies have not conceded in their last two league games, following up a 1-0 home win over Hull with a draw at Everton.

England U21 striker Saido Berahino is the club’s crown jewel.

His winner against Hull was his ninth league goal of the season, with defender Craig Dawson the next highest scorer with just two.

Home record: West Brom have lost four home games in the league – to Newcastle, Arsenal, West Ham and Manchester City.

Record v Saints: A last minute Rickie Lambert goal gave Saints victory at The Hawthorns on the opening day of 2013/14, and Adam Lallana’s strike completed the double at St Mary’s.

That was in contrast to 2012/13, when the Baggies won both games – following up a 2-0 win at The Hawthorns with a 3-0 success at St Mary’s when Danny Fox and Gaston Ramirez were both sent off.

Crystal Palace (home) March 3

Alan Pardew last weekend made his fourth return to St Mary’s as an opposing manager since being controversially sacked by Nicola Cortese in August 2010.

The recently-appointed Palace boss doesn’t have long to wait for his fifth return either, with the south Londoners due back on the south coast in early March.

Pardew has been an instant hit on his return to the capital, overseeing successive league wins against Tottenham and Burnley as well as FA Cup victories over Dover and Saints.

Jason Puncheon, the winger he signed for Saints five years ago this month, netted in both of those victories.

Captain Mile Jedenik was unavailable for the FA Cup tie due to Asian Cup commitments, but the Australian ace will no doubt be back for the league game.

The midfielder is currently Palace’s joint top league scorer with five goals, the same as Dwight Gayle.

Pardew has already brought in Arsenal striker Yaya Sanogo on loan, and he was expecting to sign more players before the current transfer window slams shut.

Away record: Palace came from 0-2 down to record a superb 3-2 victory at Burnley recently.

That was only their second away league win of the league season, following the same result at Everton in September.

At times Palace have been hard to break down, though – witness 0-0 draws at Tottenham, QPR and Villa and just a single-goal loss at Old Trafford.

Record v Saints: Saints have won the last six league games between the clubs, with Palace’s consolation in their 3-1 Boxing Day home loss their only goal in that time.

At St Mary’s, Palace lost 1-0 in the Championship in 2008/09, 2-0 in the second tier in 2011/12 and 2-0 again in the Premier League last season.

Dani Osvaldo – remember him? – scored his first goal for Saints in the September 2013 victory over the Eagles at St Mary’s.

Chelsea (away) Sunday March 15

Jose Mourinho’s men are looking good for the third title of his Stamford Bridge career.

Having won the Premier League in his first two seasons in west London, in 2004/05 and 2005/06, Chelsea are currently five points clear.

That lead will be stretched to eight if they can beat second placed Mancheser City at Stamford Bridge next weekend.

If they do, it will be their 11th straight home league victory of 2014/15.

Chelsea have only let in three goals in their ten games so far, and two of those came from Swansea in a 4-2 loss last August.

Home record: As already mentioned, Chelsea possess the only remaining 100 per cent record in English professional football.

They also won 15 of their 19 games last season, losing just the one – 2-1 to Sunderland in April (Fabio Borini converting a late penalty winner).

Remarkably, that was the first home league defeat Mourinho had ever suffered as Chelsea boss – the team going unbeaten in both their 2004/05 and 2005/06 title winning seasons.

Record v Saints: Saints have not won at Stamford Bridge since New Year’s Day 2002 when James Beattie scored twice in a surprise 4-2 victory.

They have only beaten the Blues once in 11 league games since then, and have also been caned 5-1 at St Mary’s in an FA Cup tie in January 2013.

Burnley (home) Saturday March 21

Burnley will arrive with a trio of Hampshire-born strikers.

Winchester’s Danny Ings, Southampton’s Lukas Jutkiewicz and Lymington’s Sam Vokes will all be desperate to make an impact on their return ‘home’.

Ings, Burnley’s top scorer so far with seven goals – including three in his last four league outings – is the Clarets’ striking crown jewel.

Out of contract this summer, he has been linked with a variety of clubs both at home and abroad. Vokes has only just returned to action after a long time sidelined with a knee ligament injury, while Jutkiewicz has yet to score in 17 league games this term (eight of which have come off the bench).

Boasting the cheapest-assembled squad in the Premier League by a considerable distance, it would be a great achievement if Sean Dyche can keep Burnley up.

Away record: Burnley have only won once on their travels, Danny Ings scoring two early goals in a 2-1 victory at Stoke on November 22.

But the Clarets have shown admirable spirit on the road since then.

In the space of three days after Christmas, they came from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 at Manchester City before levelling three times in a 3-3 draw at Newcastle.

Record v Saints: Burnley never won at The Dell in six First Division visits, picking up three draws in the process.

But they will be looking to complete a shock double, Ashley Barnes’ goal having given the Clarets a 1-0 Turf Moor win in December.

Saints were left rueing a Dusan Tadic penalty miss that day.

 

Our round-up of the last 16 games continues in part three...