Southampton's start to the Premier League campaign has been much underwhelming. Going winless in the campaign so far, that too having four of the five fixtures lost, Russell Martin's Southampton side currently finds itself in the 18th position. Although the club hasn't had a smooth start back in the PL, they certainly have significant positives, the most prominent ones being Tyler Dibling and Sugawara.
Bournemouth boss pinpoints Southampton's right flank duo ahead of their PL faceoff
Rising through the academy ranks of the club, Dibling's rise to the senior level has been spectacular. Marking his debut in a rather underwhelming game for Southampton, the 18-year-old prodigy did enough to announce his arrival in the English League. In fact, in his 2nd PL appearance, he had given Martin's side a 1-0 lead against Ipswich, though they couldn't hold it till the end.
Moreover, another prospect who has been significantly impressive for the Saints club has been Dibling's flankmate, wingback Sugawara. So far this season, the electrifying duo of Dibling and Sugawara has looked rather promising and could be crucial in the club's upcoming fixture against Bournemouth. In their upcoming fixture, Martin's side stands an important opportunity to mark their first PL win this season.
Given the track record of the Saints club at Bournemouth's home, they do stand significant chances of winning the fixture, even though they are on the back of a poor run. Recognizing this and the emergence of prodigies Tyler Dibling and Sugawara, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola expressed concerns before their faceoff.
Speaking on the 18-year-old prodigy Dibling and his duo with Sugawara, Iraola mentioned,
"“He has made a big impact in their games for someone so young. Also, he has a very good combination with the fullback (Yukinari Sugawara).""Andoni Iraola
Expressing his concern about facing this duo on the right flank, Iraola acknowledged they would need to be very good defensively. Iraola said,
""I think they’ve been quite threatening on this right side, so we will have to be very good defensively on that side.”"Andoni Iraola
Overall, as the Bournemouth boss mentioned, Martin's bright prospects, winger Tyler Dibling, and wingback Sugawara could be the real game changers for them in the fixture. With both of them looking promising till now, the Saints club would aspire to their first win of the PL season as they travel to the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth.