Bournemouth 0-0 Southampton: Three key players
By Erik Franzo
Alex McCarthy
After leaving English International duty early a week ago with a hamstring problem, there was some wondering if it would be Angus Gunn in net for Southampton. However, it was clear McCarthy was sent home just as a precaution as he put in another quality performance against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Sure McCarthy was not as busy as in recent Premier League starts, with just two shots on goal to deal with. The Nathan Ake header the greatest threat to his goal, but McCarthy handled it comfortably. The strength of the Southampton shot-stopper is in the air. Every Bournemouth cross was either caught, parried, or punched away. This skill cannot be over-emphasized, as the Saturday centre-back pairing has proven to struggle in aerial duels.
It is clear that Southampton scouts did their homework after plucking McCarthy from Crystal Palace in 2016. Lets just hope the new contract he signed in June deters the big six from attempting to steal him from us, as he is clearly the secret to any Southampton success.