Southampton's attack has stolen a lot of the plaudits so far this April, with the avalanche of goals at Wrexham, which saw the Saints comprehensively beat the Red Dragons 5-1 in the Championship, hard to top.
But, across the ongoing 18-game unbeaten run, the Saints have also been rock solid at the back, too.
In particular, Daniel Peretz has been a breath of fresh air in goal, ever since swapping Bayern Munich for Southampton in January on loan, with a seventh clean sheet, from only 16 Championship appearances, falling into his lap after the Saints' easy 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers mid-week.
In front of Peretz, Taylor Harwood-Bellis is also beloved by the St. Mary's masses for his dogged defensive displays, as the ex-Manchester City centre-back longs to send his promotion-chasing team straight back up to the Premier League, at the first time of asking.
Harwood-Bellis' very impressive season so far
It's not just his defensive soundness that has made him a fan favourite once more on the South Coast this season.
Indeed, he also has a stunning six goals next to his name in the Championship this campaign, with the lofty number six connecting with a delightful Ryan Manning free-kick against Derby County, earlier this month, to secure a vital 2-1 win.
But, of course, his bread and butter is putting in resilient defensive performances, with April so far seeing him give up just two goals, all while winning a valiant 14 duels.
Broken and bruised by the Premier League in the past, having been one of many downtrodden figures who experienced Southampton's dire 12-point season, the hope will be that the number six will return back to the demanding top-flight - if the Saints get there - with more vigour to succeed, and not be eaten alive again.
At 24 years of age, Harwood-Bellis is now becoming a seasoned presence on the South Coast, so much so that a new breed of defenders coming through the youth ranks will look to the one-time England international for inspiration.
Southampton could have a new Harwood-Bellis in the making
The main team at Southampton is doing extremely well at the moment, with the U21s also impressing in the Premier League 2 set-up.
Managed by ex-Saints great Adam Lallana, the next generation of top-drawer Southampton talents currently occupy sixth in the standings, above both Liverpool U21s and Arsenal U21s, subsequently.
Max Fry must already be dreaming about his own Harwood-Bellis ascent from youth football, to being a men's regular, with the 19-year-old tipped to be the next best thing on the South Coast.
Capable of playing as a left-back, left midfield, or as a centre-back, the teenager has an eye for a goal and assists - much like Harwood-Bellis - with three goals and two assists next to his name for the U18s and U21s.
Unfortunately, he has been sidelined since last October with a season-ending setback, but that hasn't stopped the starlet from putting pen to paper on a Saints extension.
"The club have a lot of faith in me to get through this period." 👊
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) April 16, 2026
We're delighted to announce that #SaintsFCU21s defender Max Fry has signed a new contract:
Noted as making "real progress" in the U21 set-up, before his horrible injury luck, by Director of Group Talent Strategy, Andy Goldie, the pathway is surely there for Fry to eventually be another homegrown sensation who leaves a lasting mark on the men's ranks.
Of course, Harwood-Bellis wasn't solely developed on the South Coast, as he is a former alumni of the illustrious City academy.
But, he definitely learnt how to cut his teeth at St. Mary's, with Fry ready for that daunting challenge down the line, if he lives up to all this early promise.
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