Southampton have a huge squad and their squad depth and quality in the centre forward position is impressive. However, the Saints have only managed to score four goals in their seven league matches which includes three goals in the previous three matches. Recently Cameron Archer became the fourth different goalscorer for Russell Martin's side in the Premier League with a world class finish against Arsenal but the home side came form 1-0 down to register another win for them which was a sixth league defeat for the Saints.
Thus, changes were expected in the attack and Martin opted to start Ross Stewart in the number nine role. Alongside him and Stewart, Martin gave a first Premier League appearance for £18 million striker Paul Onuachu in this away match. Before the match, Martin hinted about the 30-year-old Nigeria international playing as a second half substitute in the match and Onuachu gave a decent fifteen minute cameo as a substitute.
Russell Martin suggests £18 million exit-linked star could get more playing time
Standing at six feet tall, Onuachu's strengths are his positioning and physicality with the former Genk striker being a possessing a reliable heading ability inside the box. Although Onuachu isn't much great in the build up play, he can be a useful option for Southampton when they need some physical presence inside the box to delivery quality passes from both flanks. Martin was delighted by Onuachu's good showing against Arsenal and suggested that the 30-year-old striker could get more playing time in the upcoming matches as well, saying,
"Yeah, definitely. He’s been trained so well, always makes his mark in training physically and has got a really good record wherever he’s been, apart from here in those six months."Russell Martin
In the summer transfer window, Onuachu was linked with an exit from the club with Turkish sides Trabzonspor and Goztepe expressing an interest to sign Onuachu on another loan move. Those deals didn't materialised due to Southampton's demands of a permanent transfer but now with Ross Stewart getting a muscle injury and Onuachu's improvements in training, the experienced striker could become an integral part of the attack for the remainder of the season.
Therefore it remains to be seen whether Onuachu can work on improving his pace and build up play to form a great front three alongside talented forwards Cameron Archer and Tyler Dibling.