A lot of the Southampton fans expected a much improved defensive performance from the Saints, following their 3-1 defeat against Arsenal. While the brilliant first half display sparked confidence of a first Premier League win, the Saints again couldn't manage to keep an important clean-sheet.
This is a key area where Russell Martin’s side have struggled in the 2024/25 season, as Southampton often concede a lot of goals if their opponents find the back of the net for the first time in the match. Despite having around two weeks to prepare for the Leicester City match, Southampton couldn't avoid conceding against the visitors.
In-form forward Facundo Buonanotte continued his goalscoring form by netting the first goal, and Southampton couldn't manage to continue their defensive resilience for the remainder of the match. On top of that, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku gave the assist and the pass on the second goal, which reflected Southampton's shortcomings while defending the right-winger who scored a hat-trick against them last season.
Southampton's best defender disappointed after six-pointer match defeat
The center-back partnership of Jan Bednarek and Taylor Harwood-Bellis were rock-solid until the hour mark, but couldn't organise a reliable defence after the first Leicester City goal to secure a 2-1 win. After the match, Harwood-Bellis was visibly disappointed with Southampton's underwhelming performance in the second half, saying,
"In the first 15 minutes of the second half, we were still good. Their lad comes on and we concede more.Taylor Harwood-Bellis
I’m struggling to see a positive. I’m struggling to figure out how it can end like that."
Southampton looked highly likely to secure the three points to take a huge positive in their Premier League season, but another defeat in a six-pointer match has led to the Saints being bottom-placed in the league table. The next match is against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and the Saints would be wondering about their huge missed chance to stay away from the relegation zone before facing the defending Premier League Champions.