Southampton 1-2 Everton: Premier League – Three Match Takeaways
By Joe Mcindoe
Defending Not Good Enough Again
The defensive woes persist as Southampton continue to concede sloppy goals.
If you’ve followed the work of Saints Marching for any length of time, then this is almost certainly going to sound like a broken record. Then again Saints failing to defend is beginning to feel like a bad case of déjà vu.
The first goal sees the back line give up two barely contested headers from a corner. An Everton player heads towards goal only for Davies to arrive at the post and head into the net.
A scrambling Jan Bednarek can get nowhere close to battling for the ball and allows the opposition plenty of space to work.
The second goal also sees the scorer in plenty of breathing room. As an excellent ball is delivered into the box, Richarlison is just about in position and ready to slot the ball home as it arrives.
The forward hits an excellent first time shot past a diving Alex McCarthy and gives his side a valuable three points.
The finish was excellent and worthy of winning any game. The head start given by the defence was not.
Evidently, no one spotted Richarlison’s run, and by the time Bednarek notices the danger it’s far far too late. Quality players don’t need a second invitation, so the ability to see the danger develop and close down the space is crucial.