Russell Martin reveals key area which Southampton have improved after Arsenal defeat

After facing their sixth league defeat against Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, Southampton went into the international break to focus on their shortcomings at the beginning of the Premier League season. Russell Martin's side have displayed a few underwhelming performances alongside some resilient displays in the league, however, are yet to secure their first league win. The matches against Manchester United and Arsenal highlighted Southampton's quality but at the same time, reflected their inconsistent performances when they conceded a goal.

On the other hand, teams such as Brentford and Bournemouth took advantage of Southampton's defensive mistakes and quickly took a huge 3-0 lead to win the match. In the first four matches, goalscoring was also an issue for Southampton, but the Saints have shown some progress there by finding the back of the net in the previous three consecutive fixtures. Hence, the biggest thing Southampton need to learn is maintaining their calm and composure throughout the match and continue giving their full efforts in both attack as well as the defence.

Russell Martin reveals key area which Southampton have improved after Arsenal defeat

The international break is over now, and manager Russell Martin expressed his thoughts on Southampton's training during these two weeks and highlighted their improved confidence, saying,

"We haven’t got as many players away this time around which is good. We had a practice match at the training ground which was really good. I think we have taken a lot of heart, encouragement and belief from the Arsenal performance. I’m really excited about the Leicester game. "

- Russell Martin

Southampton had almost their whole squad in the team training apart from the five international players, and thus have worked on their previous mistakes together. Moreover, Martin suggested that the Arsenal match has uplifted the Saints momentum, and they are now aiming to consistently start taking good results in the English top flight. The next match is against Steve Cooper's Leicester City and a win in this home fixture can be a turning point in Southampton's league season.

The lineup is expected to be almost same as compared to the Arsenal match with Cameron Archer starting as the centre forward due to Ross Stewart's injury, and it remains to be seen whether Russell Martin's side can secure the three important points from this game.