Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage of Southampton v Sunderland from St Mary's as the hosts look to bounce back from defeat to Spurs prior to the international break and cement their place in the top four.

Lee Cattermole goes into the book for a rough challenge on Long.

Some pressure for Sunderland as they win a third corner in a row but van Aanholt's shot is well off target.

Sunderland win a corner as Toby Alderweireld heads Vergini's cross behind.

Sebastian Larsson whips in a curling free kick from 20 yards, but Fraser Forster is equal to it.

Having started quite brightly, Sunderland have capitulated in the last six minutes. Saints got in behind far too easily for that goal.

GOAL!! PELLE TAPS HOME TO MAKE IT TWO! Davis gets in behind, and Pelle has a simple tap-in from five yards. 2-0.

Grazione Pelle stretches to get on the end of a Shane Long cross, but his header goes wide.

Not completely clear what Vergini was trying to do there. There wasn't a great deal of pressure on the Argentine, who got his angles all wrong.

GOAL VERGINI SCORES AN UNBELIEVABLE OG! Sunderland are behind as Santiago Vergini whips a lovely volley... into the wrong net.

Not any real chances of note yet, but Gus Poyet will be the happier of the two managers. An encouraging start from the Black Cats.

Wickham's horrible challenge on Nathaniel Clyne goes unpunished as Davis wastes the free kick..

Steven Fletcher does well to hold up the ball and find Patrick van Aanholt but his cross is too deep.

Gomez whips in a free-kick from the right, which Connor Wickham gets his head to, but off balance the ball sails over the bar.

Sunderland on the attack, Jordi Gomez wins a corner, but it comes to nothing.

And we're under way, as Steven Davis gives away the game's first throw-in.

Five minutes to go until kick-off at St Mary's and the players are in the tunnel. Sunderland will fancy their chances today, as well as a decent recent record against Southampton, of regular first choice goalkeepers in the Premier League this season, Vito Mannone has the best saves to shots ratio (77%).

Given the recent propensity for draws in this fixture, 3/1 does not look bad odds for a stalemate at St Mary's. Southampton, unbeaten in their last five home Premier League games, are 8/13, while Sunderland are 6/1 with the bookies.

Graziano Pellè has been involved in five goals in his last five Premier League appearances (four goals, one assist). Exactly the form that earned him September's player of the month award.