Southampton player’s display vs Chelsea earns him huge fan praise

Southampton put up a strong fight against Chelsea in the League Cup on Tuesday evening but lost narrowly on penalties.

Goals from Kai Havertz and Che Adams in normal time saw the game end all square before the hosts claimed a 4-3 victory in the shootout.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl made nine changes to his side and used a different formation so it would have been pleasing for him to see his players put in such a respectable showing.

Although there were a number of impressive individual performances during the game, one Saints man stood out from the crowd as fans looked on.

Lyanco stands out for Southampton against Chelsea

Lyanco showed that he is adjusting to the English game just fine by putting in a dominant display at the centre of a three-man defence.

His first appearance in the previous round of this competition did not go to plan after he made mistakes against Sheffield United, but this time he rose to a significant challenge to show that he is ready to play his part in a red and white shirt.

One impressive aspect of his game was his ability to provide a passing outlet from defence in the style that Jannik Vestergaard did last season. This is a crucial part of playing a three-man defence and shows that Southampton now have more tactical flexibility to play with should they need it.

In terms of his stats from the game, Lyanco’s defensive contributions were also clear.

Via whoscored.com, we can see that the Brazilian made 10 clearances and won seven aerial duels throughout the 90 minutes whilst imposing himself on proceedings.

Lyanco has had to wait for his chances this season and looks to behind Jan Bednarek, Mohammed Salisu and previously Jack Stephens when waiting for his first Premier League appearance. However, he clearly provides Southampton with something different and his showing at Stamford Bridge will have given his manager some food for thought.