Southampton weren't at their best against Bristol City, but a positive result was still secured.
Indeed, the Saints - who have notoriously found it hard to beat the Robins over the years - did find it once again tricky to overcome the visitors from Bristol, with Ross Stewart bailing the hosts out towards the end of the 2-2 draw, with a crucial equaliser.
There were several underperformers from a Southampton perspective who will be wary about their starting spots, now, ahead of the South Coast side facing Manchester City in the FA Cup.
Southampton underperformers against Bristol City
Several of Tonda Eckert's more dependable performers suffered from torrid off-days against Roy Hodgson's determined visitors.
Ryan Manning, who was arguably snubbed from the Championship Team of the Season, was nowhere near his best on Tuesday night, with the Irishman - who is usually providing for Eckert and Co. with seven goals and five assists - inexplicably scoring an own-goal to give the away side a slim one-goal lead.
Moreover, Shea Charles suffered from an equally wobbly night from the middle of the park, when he's usually spraying the ball about with ease, with the number 24 going from powering home a vital equaliser at Swansea City, to missing a golden opportunity late on at St Mary's.
It remains to be seen who Eckert will start against the might of Pep Guardiola's men at Wembley, with the German known to chop and change fluidly.
He was as calm as ever at the full-time whistle, despite his side slipping up in their pursuit of nine straight wins in all competitions, with Southampton's magical 20-game unbeaten streak, still, thankfully, intact.
Eckert's honest assessment of the Bristol City draw
Unfortunately, though, off the back of this eventful draw with the Robins, the automatic promotion race might now be one hurdle too many, for Eckert's men.
It will all rest, now, on securing a playoff spot, which they should have in their grasp already, with Southampton six points better off than Hull City, who occupy seventh spot.
Reaching an FA Cup final for the first time since 1976, with City next on the horizon, is another wonderful moment that might well occur for the promotion chasers, but Eckert will no doubt be remaining calm, as he offered these honest reflections at the full-time whistle of the 2-2 draw.
He said, when reflecting on the point picked up on Tuesday: “There have been so many games in April and the expectations have gone up and up.
“That is credit to the players for what they have done over the last few weeks but today proves there are no easy games in the Championship.
“They made it difficult for us but we had two chances to win it, in recent games we have done it but today we just have to take the point and move on.
“We have never looked too much ahead. We don’t reflect on each game. We get that one out the way and then more onto the next one – that is exactly the same for Saturday.”
Eckert is the very definition of not getting too high or too low, no matter what occurs, as he sees the impending trip ahead to Wembley as just another game for Southampton to try and win.
He will keep this level-headedness in mind with the potential drama of the playoffs ahead, which won't make the German sweat one bit.
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