The cheers from the Northam end of the ground were clearly much louder for Samuel Edozie than for Cyle Larin as both came onto the field of play after 67 minutes of a drab encounter at St Mary's.
It took the Canadian international just three minutes to win them over when he launched himself at a James Bree corner to head powerfully home.
Cyle Larin scores with his first touch for Southampton. pic.twitter.com/9UzvLkXkeM
— Total Football Insight (@final_whistle1) February 7, 2026
Fans left choking on humble pie
This week's narrative has been mostly about the club's failure to recruit a genuine replacement for Adam Armstrong, who left for Wolverhampton Wanderers on deadline day. Larin, it has been argued, isn't what Southampton needed.
Sam Edozie, on the other hand, has been left out in the cold since the start of the season, and some fans were surprised to see him named on the bench today. An injury to Jay Robinson may have helped Edozie's cause somewhat, and the 23-year-old did nothing to harm his chances of featuring over the remainder of the season.
Larin clearly enjoyed his goal and celebrated in front of the Northam End with no shortage of cathartic release.
When your new striker scores on debut and then celebrates right in front of you! pic.twitter.com/edJ3oB9b1I
— Total Football Insight (@final_whistle1) February 7, 2026
The Canadian Pellè
The fans have taken to the Canadian, not just because he scored the winning goal, but because he put himself about in a way that Saints fans haven't seen since Graziano Pellè's days at St Mary's.
When Larin controlled a high ball on his chest, it drew audible gasps from the Northam crowd. It wasn't long before they were chanting his name; difficult to do when so many were choking on their humble pie.
Clearly, Larin is some way off playing a full 90 minutes. The 23 minutes that he did play seemed to have taken every ounce of what he had to offer.
Eckert hails family man, Larin
Eckert said: “We knew with Cyle we would have the physical presence we need. He scored the goal but it was also the way he defended at the other end.
“I think it couldn’t go any better than it did for him. Strikers live off those moments.
“The nice thing with Cyle is that he has three kids and has lived in a lot of different countries, so it has made it easier for him to come into the group.
“He has a proper presence. He is a proper family man and a father, with the experience he has collected over the years.
“It has been very easy for him to find his spot in the changing room and combining that with a nice performance has made it even easier.”