What was a frustrating afternoon for Saint Supporters, there were a few positive performances that could be taken away from the match.
There will have to be a replay between the two sides thanks to two quick strike goals by the home side that saw them close a 2 goal deficit in a matter of minutes. The defense of Southampton was shaky at best and it let a competent Championship take advantage of them.
Many of the fringe players did not take this opportunity to prove they are Premier League quality and actually hurt their stocks in the process. A few players did rise to the occasion and put in a solid shift of work in what should have been a win. Let’s take a look at who played well and one who benefitted from the draw.
Nathan Redmond
The Englishman added two more goals to his ’18/’19 tally and is looking better with each performance. His confidence is at an all-time high and he has never looked more comfortable in a red and white shirt than he is now.
This game in particular, Redmond had two brilliant strikes that saw the away side go up two. His second in particular was a gorgeous strike that many players could not pull off. Easily, the man of the match and it will be fun to see him continue this form especially when he has a better cast of players around him.
James Ward-Prowse
Whatever Hasenhuttl has said or been saying to the kid is clearly working. He is seemingly revitalizing his career right in front of our eyes. He has been more aggressive and quite frankly just better than when the team was under Hughes.
It was great to see the captain’s armband on him and he seemed to wear it with a great sense of pride. He may not be a regular starter just yet but he has definitely played his way in to the squad for the foreseeable future and will play a role in our survival.
Pierre-Emili Hojbjerg
The only player who truly benefited from this match being a draw was the captain. The replay in a few weeks will count towards his suspension and he will be able to return a match earlier than originally thought. Major silver-lining for the Saints because it is obvious we miss his play and leadership on the pitch.