The positive start
In a total flip to what we’ve seen so far this season from the Saints, they came out of the blocks much stronger than their opponents and played their best football in the first-half.
This continued into the second where they took the lead after 52 minutes, when a teasing cross rolled all the way to Bertrand who absolutely hit it from the edge of the box into the top corner.
Playing the 4-4-2 we had seen previously but with Long and Ings up top, Southampton were really lively and positive on the ball – Nathan Redmond and Mohamed Elyounoussi particularly impressed whilst both of the strikers were influential too.
Against Everton and Burnley it took until after half-time for the Saints to get themselves going meaning the way they started this afternoon was definitely a positive. As Erik noted in his match recap, the football we saw in the first 45 was some of the best we had seen at St. Mary’s since the days under Ronald Koeman.