It is fair to say that it has been an eventful few months since Southampton’s last outing in the Premier League.
Lest we forget, the previous time Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men donned the red and white stripes back in March, they succumbed in pitiful fashion to Newcastle.
The anticipation surrounding their return to football against Norwich has been palpable; many have looked longingly to football to provide respite and distraction from the ongoing horrors of the outside world.
It was fitting that Southampton paid tribute to the incredible industry, bravery and effort of the NHS on their shirts, alongside the widely heralded Black Lives Matter slogan.
The latter has attracted some controversy as a small section of Southampton fans have lamented its use. There can be no doubt that the scenes of both sets of players kneeling before kick-off was a powerful, evocative image and from this writer’s perspective, it has been a long time overdue for football to use its considerable platform to focus on and challenge social (not political) issues.
Back to the football, one could be forgiven for thinking the match was a training session, such was the lack of intensity from the home side at an eerily quiet Carrow Road. Although the Canaries had the brighter of the opening 15 minutes, Saints soon found their stride in the first half with a close effort from Ings leaving the crossbar visibly vibrating.
Southampton moved laconically into second gear after half time, sensing perhaps that the scalp was there for the taking. Sure enough, the breakthrough wasn’t far away for the visitors, a reward for their endeavour and characteristic high pressing.
A classy finish from Danny Ings took him to 16 goals in the league, whilst Armstrong and Redmond added further contributions to secure a comfortable 3-0 victory for the Saints. In doing so, they completed the double over Norwich this season, leaving Daniel Farke’s men teetering on the brink of relegation.
Here are the key players from the match: