Southampton will want to avoid another unwanted St Mary's record

Unless they win 6-0 against Everton on Saturday, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side will have had their worst-ever start to a season at home after six games.

Saints have earned just one point at home during this campaign, from the 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

There have been defeats to Liverpool, Bournemouth, Chelsea and the record-breaking 9-0 defeat to Leicester.

Even a win on Saturday would only equal their worst points tally after six home games, the four (or equivalent of) that they accrued last season and in 2001, 1991 and 1952.

With only 15 victories in 62 home matches, Saints’ poor St Mary’s form is hardly ‘breaking news’, but it has become a worrying pattern.

Supporters with long memories will recall that 18 years ago, it took Saints a while to adapt to their new surroundings after the move from The Dell.

The long wait to christen St Mary’s with a Saints win led to superstitious nonsense that Pompey-supporting builders had ‘cursed’ the ground by burying their club’s shirts under the pitch during its construction.

Not until the appointment of Gordon Strachan did Saints register their first Premier League win at St Mary’s, at the sixth time of asking, on November 24, 2001.

That was their longest-ever winless start to a season at home until last year, when the Danny Ings-inspired 3-2 victory against Arsenal on December 16 provided a much-needed boost to morale following the appointment of Ralph Hasenhuttl.

A year ago it took a record eight home games for Saints to win three points at home, but it is imperative that they break this season’s duck in their sixth St Mary’s match of the season.

It will need a 7-0 win to avoid their worst-ever six-game home start (the four points they mustered with a minus-nine goal difference at The Dell, a year before the Premier League’s inception, in 1991).

But a scrappy 1-0 will be more than adequate.

No doubt the players will be motivated to put the wrongs of the Leicester defeat right.

It’s their first match at St Mary’s since that catastrophic loss and Hasenhuttl knows the club owe a winning performance to the fans who continue to support the team at home in their thousands.

Back-to-back games against Manchester City proved to go better than many had hoped.

Despite losing both matches, Saints managed to avoid another embarrassment and were unlucky to leave the Etihad Stadium pointless last weekend.

An early James Ward-Prowse strike gave them hope, only for it to be crushed by Sergio Aguero and then a late winner from Kyle Walker.

Even though it was an incredibly one-sided match, Hasenhuttl’s side managed to remain organised in defence and absorb the continuous pressure applied to them by City.

But despite the improved away performances, this current team will always be remembered by their home result against Leicester, although Everton presents an opportunity for them to put it to bed.

The Toffees will arrive on the south coast with a woeful away record which has seen them fail to win on the road since the end of March.

Manager Marco Silva is said to be under pressure having spent big during his spell in charge at Goodison.

Everton splashed out over £100m in the summer and find themselves just three points off the relegation zone.

They are also having to come to terms with the tragic injury Andre Gomes sustained against Tottenham.

Although it’s a big ask to avoid setting another unwanted record, as long as Saints win there will be reason to be optimistic for what’s ahead.