Southampton aim to avoid unwanted record against Villa

SOUTHAMPTON, United Kingdom (AFP) - Southampton will try to avoid matching the club's worst ever start to a top-flight campaign when they face Aston Villa at St Mary's on Saturday.

Saints have endured a testing return to life in the Premier League and have failed to register a single point from their opening four games.

The fixture list has hardly been kind to the newly-promoted side, pitting Nigel Adkins's team against last season's top three - Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal - as well as Wigan.

But a fifth successive reverse would deliver a confidence-sapping blow in the wake of last weekend's crushing 6-1 thrashing by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.