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Fraser Forster makes Southampton's goalkeeper situation a lot easier.

He guided Saints to a crucial win over Arsenal to halt the losing skid with some vital saves.

The freshly recapped England stopper produced his second man-of-the-match performance in as many weeks, which is crazy to think about, considering he shipped six against Chelsea last week. This time around, however, he denied the Gunners a total of six shots on target for his hard-earned clean sheet.

Bukayo Saka had a point-blank attempt remarkably kept out by Forster. He also denied Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli and Granit Xhaka to further frustrate Mikel Arteta’s men.

Forster’s recent form earned a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for the friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast - his first involvement since 2017.

But what’s in store for Southampton’s goalkeepers? Ralph Hasenhuttl has a headache with the contract situations. As it stands, Forster, Alex McCarthy and Harry Lewis' deals all expire in the summer. Willy Caballero’s loan spell is also due to end.

Many fans have been speculating on a big-money signing before next season - but with 34 year-old Forster in inspired form, is there a new contract on the horizon?

Last time out, Southampton flew in the face of any suggestion that they may already be on the beach as a result of their comfortable mid-table position.

They produced a committed display to beat Champions League-chasing Arsenal at St Mary's, with Jan Bednarek scoring the only goal.

It was the display of the man between the sticks at the other end that had people talking, though...

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• Burnley have lost just one of their six Premier League home games against Southampton (W3 D2), though it did come in this exact fixture last season (0-1).
• Following their 1-0 win at Turf Moor last season, Southampton are looking to pick up back-to-back away league wins against Burnley for just the second time, previously doing so in 2006 and 2007 in the Championship.
• The Saints haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their past 13 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Premier League games, shipping 35 goals in total in this run (2.7 per game).
• This will be Burnley’s first home league game without Sean Dyche in charge since October 2012, and a 1-0 Championship victory over Blackpool under caretaker Terry Pashley. The last Burnley manager to lose their first home league game with the club was Brian Laws (vs Chelsea in January 2010).

Actually, according to Mike Jackson, the situation at Burnley is one from which they players can draw confidence.

Jackson, who took charge for Sunday's battling 1-1 draw at West Ham, believes Sean Dyche's departure might spur Burnley to survival.

"Sometimes it gives you a jolt," he added.

"Does the group sit and wallow? That is not what I have seen. When you have been in football a long time, I get a feeling for the group. The group is pulling together.

"I believe it. I think there is enough in this group."

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Burnley caretaker manager Mike Jackson says he does not know who will take charge of the club's relegation fight on a permanent basis as he prepares them to face Southampton.

"I spoke to the chairman the other day," said under-23s coach Jackson. "He's just asked me, very similar to West Ham, to prepare for this game.

"Anything that happens after that, I'm sure you'll be the first to know."

Well that will fill everyone with confidence!

The phrase 'blind panic' was in fact exactly the one used by our chief football writer Phil McNulty in his piece on the Burnley owners' decision to dispense with Dyche.

"If the Clarets stay in the Premier League, and they are currently four points from safety behind Everton with eight games left, Burnley's American chairman Alan Pace and his cohorts can congratulate themselves on a roll of the dice that paid off spectacularly," Phil went on to write.

"If Burnley go down, they will be accused by many supporters of being guilty of a desperate, misguided move that removed the man who is still arguably their best chance of survival, even after a season where they have won only four league games, losing five of their last six.

"This is the punt Pace and his boardroom colleagues have taken when making a decision which raised eyebrows even in the usually shockproof world of Premier League management."

You can read more of that piece here.

So, you'll have no doubt seen that this happened today...

Seems apt on a day that a club announces the man they want to lead them to a better future to ask if Burnley really knew what they were doing when they sacked Sean Dyche last Friday?

I'm not going to get deep into the weeds on whether they should have or should not have sacked Dyche - you can make your own mind up. What I do wonder, though, is why they did it when they clearly had no successor primed and ready to go at such a crucial stage of the season?

It does smack of blind panic.

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The last time Burnley's first team played a game at Turf Moor without Sean Dyche in charge was 20 October 2012.

This was in the aftermath of the departure of Eddie Howe (whatever happened to him?!) and Terry Pashley was caretaker boss for a 1-0 win over Blackpool. The only goal of the game was scored by Charlie Austin (whatever happened to him?!).

Dyche would take over as manager shortly after and the rest is history.

I imagine it is going to be strange for the Clarets fans not to see a shaven-headed fella in a creaseless white shirt and tie watching on from the home technical area.

Burnley make two changes to the side that drew 1-1 with West Ham on Sunday, with Connor Roberts and Josh Brownhill coming in to replace Matthew Lowton and Ashley Westwood.

Burnley XI: Pope, Roberts, Collins, Tarkowski, Taylor, Cork, Brownhill, McNeil, Cornet, Weghorst, Rodriguez.

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Southampton stick with the same side that beat Arsenal last time out, as the visitors look to climb into the top half of the table.

Southampton XI: Forster, Walker-Peters, Lyanco, Bednarek, Valery, Perraud, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Elyounoussi, Broja.

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BBC Radio 5 Live

So yeah, tonight is going to be tense (for Burnley and their relegation rivals at least).

And we're here to talk you through all the drama as it unfolds.

I'll be live texting the best of the action, while over on BBC Radio 5 Live they'll be talking you through it.

Eleanor Oldroyd is in charge for the build-up from 19:00 BST before she hands over to the commentary team at Turf Moor just before kick-off.

Three winnable games.

In contrast to what faces Everton in the next few games - Liverpool away, Chelsea at home and Leicester away - Burnley's run of Southampton and Wolves at Turf Moor, followed by a trip to Watford provide a big chance to make a move.

In truth, they may be Burnley's last chance to stage an escape. If the gap is still four points or more after this trio of games, the Championship beckons.

No such concerns for the Saints, of course. The biggest worry on their plate is if they can get themselves a top-half finish.

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But for Richarlison's late leveller for Everton against Leicester last night, Burnley would be going in to tonight's game with Southampton knowing that a win would take them out of the bottom three.

Consider the psychological lift this could have provided for a club that has been in the bottom three pretty much solidly since October.

However, with the Toffees facing some tricky games coming up - starting at Anfield on Sunday - Burnley have their opportunity, starting tonight.

Tonight could go a long way to answering that question.

With seven games remaining in the season, the Clarets know that they need to start picking up points and fast. They are currently sat in 18th place, four points from safety and probably still wishing Leicester could have defended a bit better in injury time last night.

Burnley have no permanent manager at the moment.

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They have lost their club captain and midfield stalwart.

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But do they still have hope?

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