Southampton's 5-1 win away at Charlton Athletic on Saturday will have sent shockwaves around the Championship. Not only was it a convincing victory, but also it signalled the Saints third win on the bounce under interim boss, Tonda Eckert.
It is Eckert who should be credited with an upturn in Adam Armstrong's performance as much as the player himself. On Saturday, at the Valley, it felt like Southampton had signed a new player.
Southampton fans will be well aware of Armstrong's ability to run in behind defences. His goals against Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City earlier in the season are great examples of that.
The change in Armstrong's game that was most noticeable at the Valley was the frequency that he came short for the ball out of midfield. By doing so, Southampton were able to get runners onto the ball almost at will.
A typical Armstrong finish
Armstrong's goal at Charlton on Saturday was typical of the player. His emphatic finish after receiving the ball from Léo Scienza inside the box was lethal. He may have been a little fortunate to have gotten two bites at the cherry, but he won't have cared too much about that.
The result of Armstrong's eagerness and diligence to drop deep to receive the ball was two brilliant assists.
In the 20th minute, the Southampton number nine dropped into his own half to receive a ball out of defence. After turning sharply, Armstrong noticed the run of Caspar Jander and slid him through on goal for Saints' third of the match.
Two minutes later, Armstrong was at it again. Picking up the ball from debutant Cameron Bragg, about 30 yards from goal, he turned and slid an inch-perfect through ball to Finn Azaz who rounded the keeper for Southampton's fourth.
The omens for Southampton are good. During their promotion season in 2023/24, Armstrong contributed 13 assists in addition to his 24 goals (including play-offs). If he can capture anything like that sort of form, this could be the start of something special at St Mary's.
Saints could become too reliant on one player
As much as having Armstrong firing on all cylindars is great for the club, they could become a little reliant on him. So far this season, they have been unable to find another striker who could debutise for the Geordie if he were to pick up a knock or be out for an extended period.
Eckert is persisting with Damion Downs, who was afforded the luxury of coming on with the team 5-1 up, but the USMNT international has not been able to find his feet in the Championship as of yet.
Tonda Eckert has unlocked another facet of Adam Armstrong's play and it's a golden ticket for Southampton as they start to hunt down the teams above them in the table.