The last time Brighton and Southampton met in the top flight it was 1983 and the permed mullet was still abundant on the South Coast.

You rarely see one now. Gone the same way as the gigantic comb-over cod, shy titan of the deep. Shame really.

There’s something a bit fishy about the form of Brighton’s astonishing 3-0 defeat of West Ham. Punters could be left pouting if they trust that one at face value.

Tight drawish angles look right today (1.30pm). No need to flounder – net a bit of the DRAW at 9/4 (Fred) .

If you play at winkle-sized prices, the NO ‘both teams to score’ bet is worth pinning down at 4/5 (Fred).

Combine the sides’ records and 15 of their 21 games have gone that way so far.

Claude Puel’s Saints’ reign ended with five blanks in six. He’s got more firepower at Leicester and has seemingly been gifted a soft start too, against ‘sickly’ Everton – but here alarm bells should be ringing for punters (4pm).

No one is suggesting that professional footballers might ever fail to ‘put it all in’ because they’d be happy to see a boss out the door.

But just in case, let’s focus on the wisdom that while form is only temporary, class is permanent.

Wayne Rooney’s a classy ‘anytime scorer’ candidate that shines through the fog.

Get on Rooney ‘anytime’ at the 28/11 (Unibet, 888Sport).

There's been bad blood between Aston Villa and Birmingham going back to 1945, when Blues lost the coin-flip and got Jasper Carrott.

Those old wounds will be getting a fresh salting today (12pm) and it’s tough to call, so I’m reverting to standard Smethwick rules for separating two staffies locked in a rolling maul outside Costco.

Get blindside, bab, and stick your thumb up one!

Easier said than done, but with Brum a bit toothless, the plum I’ve pulled out is ‘Aston Villa win to nil’ at the widespread 11/4.