A bitterly cold night under lights was the setting for a lively encounter between Southampton and the visitors into town, Leicester City.
This fixture holds fond memories for the Foxes, after the infamous result two years ago but both teams were anxious to get three points after an uninspiring start to the season.
The game was surprisingly open, with Saints scoring early with an innovative, well-executed corner routine finished off by Jan Bednarek. Opposition centre back Jonny Evans then equalised 20 minutes later, the ball presenting itself at the veteran’s feet after McCarthy failed to deal with a snap shot from a corner.
Despite the setback, Southampton did well to maintain their composure and deservedly went back in front after the half hour mark. Nathan Redmond lofted a lovely cross into the box and the inform Che Adams managed to instinctively nod the ball past Schmeichel.
An extended half time break was necessary due a medical emergency within the crowd but the reset did Leicester a favour, as they reemerged reinvigorated with greater intent and intensity. The goal came quickly, with the impressive James Maddison causing real problems with a range of skills. The out of favour England midfielder was a handful throughout the game and he took his goal well, selling the Southampton defence with a smart dummy before finishing expertly.
From then onwards, the game was a frantic blur of scrappy passing, clumsy tackling and poor finishing. Vardy and Barnes were particularly guilty of missing straight forward opportunities, the latter forcing McCarthy into a superb save low down to his right. Although Leicester had the better of the second period, both teams left feeling a share of the spoils was probably a fair result.
Here are three takeaways from the game: