Southampton haven't had a great return to the Premier League as the Saints are currently eighteenth in the league table with only one point after the first five matchdays. Despite being a reliable and a well balanced side for the large part of the match, Russell Martin's side have made a few mistakes in both attack and defence which has kept them off from taking a few more points in their initial fixtures. However, Southampton have been improving in the recent matches and their encouraging performances have given them a good boost as they aim for avoiding relegation from the Premier League this season.
One of the biggest reasons in the recent impressive displays has been the emergence of promising young talents, who have showcased their huge potential while playing for the first team. Among them, new signing Mateus Fernandes has quickly become an integral part of the Southampton midfield. The 20-year-old star possesses great pace and his versatility allows him to play both as a creative playmaker as well as a box-to-box midfielder.
Russell Martin labels promising midfielder as a special talent alongside Tyler Dibling
In the recent 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town, Fernandes put in a brilliant all around display and helped the Saints in having more ball possession and advance forward inside the final third to create more goal scoring chances. Now, manager Russell Martin has praised the promising midfielder before the Bournemouth match, saying,
"He’s a top, top player. We have two players in Mateus and Tyler Dibling, and a few others, who have the potential to play wherever they want.Russell Martin
Mateus needs to get up to speed with the Premier League. Every bit of his talent, his guile, his creativity is matched with intensity and desire to win."
Further, Martin compared Fernandes's growing importance in the first team as similar to 18-year-old forward Tyler Dibling, who both have surprised several Premier League fans and analysts with their quick adaptation to the Premier League. Moreover, these two promising talents will look forward to play a key role again for the Saints as they face Bournemouth in the next league matchday aiming to take their first three points of the season.