Tonda Eckert's Southampton selection dilemma has been solved after Bristol City

Southampton have swept aside another challenge this season in the Championship with ease.

Heading into Saturday's encounter against Bristol City, the expectation was that the Saints would have a tough test in store, with the Robins boasting two away wins on the trot, and a selection of exciting attackers to boot such as Scott Twine and Dom Ballard.

Lorent Tolaj did end up scoring for the visitors, but Tonda Eckert and Co. now have an outstanding 18 goals next to their season tally, after convincingly beating Michael Skubala's men 4-1, to reinforce St. Mary's frightening stature as a fortress.

The Saints starting XI just keeps picking itself, with Cyle Larin an absolute shoo-in every week, as he now has an outrageous seven goals from seven Championship appearances for the season.

Likewise, Finn Azaz is the division's most exciting number ten at the moment, with a goal and two assists next to his name at the full-time whistle.

Eckert only had one real selection dilemma to address before the game got underway, but Kuryu Matsuki will be hoping he can nail down the right wing spot now, after getting in on the goalscoring act on Saturday.

Eckert's selection dilemma could be solved

This season, the German has regularly chopped and changed between Matsuki being his chosen starter down the right, and Tom Fellows.

Fellows has shone in patches this campaign in all fairness, with his first ever Saints goal coming against Millwall late last month, but the time feels right for the ex-FC Tokyo attacker to nail down a consistent spot in the side, after he was very impressive against the Robins.

Grabbing an assist last time out from just 14 minutes of action was enough for Eckert to decide to hand Matsuki the first team baton today, and it was the right call, as the direct number 27 would clinch the game late on, with Southampton's decisive third strike.

Matsuki would effortlessly drill an effort past the helpless Sam Tickle to seal the breathless affair on the 82nd mark, but he impressed away from just this timely contribution in front of goal.

He would also win seven duels and tackles as a livewire down the right, with Fellows often shirking his dirty work, on the contrary, having won zero of his six duels against Swansea City.

All in all, it would be very harsh to now drop Matsuki back down to the bench, after he more than played his part in a vibrant Saints attack versus the Robins, with the Japanese forward in desperate need of consistent starts, to stop his St Mary's career feeling so on-again, off-again.

Matsuki now needs consistent starts

With Eckert very much set in stone with what he wants from the rest of his lineup, it would make sense for him to persist with Matsuki for matches to come.

Unfortunately, the international break will come at the worst possible time for the 23-year-old, but he will aiming to go out with a bang against Wrexham.

After all, he did score the last time he lined up against the Red Dragons, as the Welsh side was put to the sword 5-1 by the rampant Saints at the Racecourse Ground.

It's not out of the question that Southampton could run riot again, with the goals that just keep flowing, and the fact Wrexham will be fresh still off a 6-0 beating handed to them by league leaders, West Ham United.

Whatever happens, Matsuki will want to impress again, with another standout showing solidifying the fact that Eckert has his long-standing selection dilemma resolved.

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