Southampton made light work of a Norwich City side who are struggling to find any form under new manager Liam Manning. After a shaky start, which saw the Saints concede six needless opportunities, Will Still's men took control in what would become a physical battle.
Ryan Fraser is fast becoming an important player of Still's tenure and his well-taken goal exemplified how the manager wants his side to attack.
Here are five more things that we learned from last night's match.
1. Mads Roerslev is a very good addition to the squad
The Danish international made his full debut at Norwich last night after replacing Yukinari Sugawara in the Stoke City defeat on Saturday.
Roerslev made an immediate difference to the side and unlike Sugawara was effective in the final third.
The Dane had energy to burn on the flank and his positional play ensured that he provided cover in the full-back area when required but also created overloads in attacking transitions.
The 26-year-old brings useful experience in a team that looks stronger with him in it.
2. Defensively, we are slow to learn the lessons from last year
As the season is progressing, the manager has identified that the Southampton central defenders are taking too long to learn from the mistakes that they made last season.
“We were getting into old habits of playing sideways and backwards,“ Still told Daily Echo reporters.
Under Russell Martin, the Saints were often criticised for playing out from the back too dangerously and inviting needless pressure. This is clearly something that the new manager has identified as a problem to be eradicated.
In the first half alone, Southampton gave away six chances of their own making and were fortunate that Norwich didn't take any of them.
3. Shea Charles keeps improving and this was his best game since pre-season
Despite a recent dip in form, Shea Charles had one of his best games of the season at Carrow Road.
In the absence of Mateus Fernandes, the oweness appears to be on Charles to get forward and create the overloads in central areas. He nearly scored in the second-half after an untidy (I would say neat but it was anything but) one-two with Cameron Archer on the edge of the Norwich area put him through on goal.
Charles' shot from point blank range was blocked by the keeper but nevertheless, it's clear that any suggestion that Charles is a defensive midfielder is misguided.
4. Cameron Archer's goal emphasised his quality
When Cameron Archer took too long to get the ball out from under his feet and an age to get his shot away early in the first half, Saints fans could be forgiven for showing their frustration.
Archer's form since arriving from Villa last summer has been poor. The 23-year-old suffered a confidence sapping penalty miss against Manchester United early in the 2024/25 season and could manage just two Premier League goals.
However, when Archer received the ball from Ross Stewart on the edge of the box, in the 42nd minute last night, his left-footed curling shot screamed nothing but confidence. As the ball nestled in the top left-hand corner of the net, Archer had a look of arrogance. A look that said - what else did you expect?
5. Matsuki won't score worldies like that every week but he's an interesting option
Kuryu Matsuki did everything but score in the opening pre-season friendly at Eastleigh. He looked full of energy and enthusiasm – a player with something to prove.
An injury set him back a little pre-season but he has found himself being used as a substitute since the opening day of the season.
Last night, the Japanese 22-year-old lit up Carrow Road with a spectacular goal all of his own making. Picking the ball up 45-yards out from goal, Matsuki drove forward.
Ignoring a run from Roerslev down the right, the Under-23 international opted instead to shoot. His 25-yard thunderbolt flew into the top right-hand corner to set the seal on a great result for Saints.