Southampton: Saints Batter Hapless Burnley, Advance to 8th in EPL

Southampton extended their win streak to seven, as Charlie Austin netted a brace and Nathan Redmond added another in a 3-1 win over Burnley yesterday.

Amid a torrential downpour on the South Coast, Southampton easily dispatched Premier League newcomers Burnley with a flurry of goals in the second half. The Saints, who entered as high favourites over a side that had yet to score a goal away from home, got out of the gates early with a powerfully struck Charlie Austin header five minutes in.

The faithful at St. Mary’s were sure that they’d gotten on the board early, but keeper Tom Heaton was able to paw it away.

It was a sign of things to come, as an energized Southampton kept their opposition pinned in their own half for much of the match. But Heaton was good for the Saints’ myriad chances and benefited from a few poorly-hit Charlie Austin strikes as afternoon clouds gave way to downpour and soaked the pitch. At the half, the score stood at 0-0 and looked to be another dominant but frustrating Saints outing.

As the second half opened, it didn’t take long for the Saints to finally get on the board. A poorly-defended corner in the 50th minute fell to Charlie Austin, who took a few tries to poke it through a last-ditch stand by a pair of Burnley defenders.

In the end, the former Burnley man was successful as his efforts found the back of the net and put the Saints up 1-0.

Whatever chance Burnley had in the second half evaporated after going down a goal, and it didn’t take long for Southampton to find another. A corner in the 60th minute fell to an unmarked Nathan Redmond, who lashed the ball into the bottom corner of the net on a brilliant first-time effort.

It was Redmond’s first since an opening-day goal versus Watford, and showcased the Saints’ dominance of their opponents in the 18-yard box.

“Nathan also came in with a very good performance, with very good technique. I asked him to shoot a bit more when he gets the chance and he did that!”

A mere six minutes later, the Saints would make it 3-0 with the help of hometown youngster and academy graduate Sam McQueen, who made his Premier League debut in relief of an injured Matt Targett.

On a run into the box, McQueen was grabbed by a Burnley defender and went to ground. Though the contact was light, referee Mike Dean judged it a penalty, and Charlie Austin once again converted from the spot to bring his tally to seven goals in six appearances through all competitions.

The Clarets would pull one back late on as referee Mike Dean called a penalty against Dusan Tadic for obstruction on a corner delivery; Sam Vokes was good from the spot, slotting it down the middle against a diving Fraser Forster and capping the Saints’ clean-sheet run at six.

Speaking to the media after the game, manager Claude Puel praised the efforts of his strikers, revealing that Charlie Austin had chosen to play through illness for the chance to score against his former club.

“He [Austin] was a little ill this week and I did not know if he could play this afternoon,” Puel told club media. “It’s important for the team…all the players can make a good game around him.”

Puel also heaped praise on Nathan Redmond, whom he’d previously identified as a star striker prospect in the vein of former pupils Theirry Henry and Alexandre Lacazette.

“Nathan also came in with a very good performance, with very good technique,” Puel said. “I asked him to shoot a bit more when he gets the chance and he did that!”

Southampton now sit eighth in the Premier League, two spots off their finishing position of last year, with all teams below them having played. The Saints’ next match is Thursday versus Inter Milan in the Europa League group stage, before returning to England to face Premier League leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Sunday.