The startling Southampton numbers behind Charles’ wonder strike

With only four goals next to his name as a senior player, heading into Southampton's Championship clash with Oxford United, Shea Charles won't have been the first name on everyone's lips as to who would seal the win.

A safer bet might well have been Cyle Larin, who has developed a fantastic knack for being routinely in the right place, at the right time, to tap home a simple finish for Tonda Eckert's men, ever since sealing a January loan switch.

The Canadian would find himself on the scoresheet with a scrappy finish that has now become his St. Mary's trademark, but it would be Charles who would steer Eckert's hosts into a two-goal lead, with a goal that was anything but untidy.

Instead, the one-time Manchester City man rifled home arguably one of the goals of the season in the entire Championship this season, with a rocket that proved far too fierce for Jamie Cumming to try and thwart.

Charles was understandably delighted at the full-time whistle, as he hailed his long-range bullet as "the best goal" he has ever put away, across his fledgling career to date.

Now on international duty with Northern Ireland, it's clear that the 22-year-old is destined to have an esteemed career at the very top, if he can continue to keep putting in phenomenal displays for Eckert's men.

Don't expect Charles to be slamming home audacious strikes every match, though, as there are some startling numbers to dissect when it comes to his 13th-minute beauty.

The numbers behind by Charles' wonder strike

Followers of the Northern Ireland national team will be praying he can produce another moment of immense skill over the international break, as Michael O'Neill's nation do battle with Italy, in the first set of World Cup Playoff matches.

However, the numbers behind the U's strike indicate this isn't going to suddenly become a recurring trick up the Manchester-born ace's sleeve.

Indeed, the xG behind the strike came in at a very low 0.01, with the number 24 just thankful that he made the perfect connection when being played into space by Cameron Archer to beat Cumming.

On another day, he would've likely just hit the opportunity into Row Z, rather than being the talk of the town in the EFL.

Amazingly, though, the 31-time Northern Ireland international's only other strike for Southampton this season also falls into the awe-inspiring goal-of-the-season category, when Charles got in on the goalscoring act in a 4-3 win over Leicester City.

That day, the xG came in at 0.06, with 2026 clearly the year where Charles begins to refine this outrageous prowess from outside the box.

If the likes of Leo Scienza flounder on the big stage in matches to come, Eckert will feel quietly confident that the 22-year-old could have another moment of magic - like his memorable opener against the U's - just waiting to be unleashed.

It could be a very effective weapon in the playoffs too, as Charles aims to be just one part of the effective Southampton machine, that instantly seals a return to the Premier League.