One of the standout performers for Southampton's Premier League promotion-winning campaign has been Championship's second top-scorer Adam Armstrong. The 27-year-old scored 21 league goals last season which included a match-winning goal in the playoffs final against Leeds United.
However, Armstrong's Premier League performances haven't been convincing since joining the Saints in a £15 million move from Blackburn Rovers in 2021. Further, Armstrong struggled to find the back of the net in the English top flight this season as well, and was even dropped from the starting lineup after the first three matches.
£15 million struggling Southampton star completes comeback with back-to-back goals
Due to the inconsistent form of other Southampton forwards such as Paul Onuachu and Ben Brereton Diaz, manager Russell Martin gave a great starting lineup opportunity to Armstrong against Stoke City in the Carabao Cup fourth round. Despite not managing much attempts on goal, Armstrong found the back of the net by scoring his penalty to double the lead to 2-0 at the half an hour mark.
In the Everton fixture, manager Russell Martin gave a first Premier League start to Armstrong after seven league matches, which was a surprising decision for the home fans as the 27-year-old replaced promising forward Tyler Dibling in the starting lineup. However, Armstrong exceeded expectations and netted the important 1-0 goal to lead the Saints to another win over Everton this season.
After featuring in a few substitute appearances in the previous league fixtures, Armstrong completed his brilliant comeback in Russell Martin's starting lineup with back-to-back goals in the Carabao Cup and Premier League this week. Moreover, Armstrong's encouraging form and Archer's goalscoring abilities can inspire Southampton to another important win against bottom-table side Wolves in the next away fixture.
Now, it remains to be seen whether the Saints can register consecutive Premier League wins in the upcoming away match to significantly boost their ambitions of staying in the English top flight after this season.