A stagnant, uneventful opening half at St Mary's Stadium offered little hint of the Valentine's Day drama to follow. Leicester City's initial lethargy eventually dissolved as an innovative, beautiful and unlikely Oliver Skipp overhead kick cancelled out a Saints penalty.
This event dragged a fatigued and youthful Foxes side into a grueling extra-time battle they ultimately couldn't win. LCFC's FA Cup journey came to a heartbreaking end on the South Coast because the visiting side eventually succumbed 2-1 to Southampton after 120 minutes. That's two losses to them in one week.
Leicester City stars and starlets whom stood out
Despite the defeat, the narrative was dominated by the emergence of Bade Aluko (scored as an '8' by Leicester Mercury), who was hailed as "excellent" for his defensive tenacity and assuredness on the ball. He looked far more composed than in previous outings and put the red card incident behind him.
"Bade Aluko: Excellent. He was up to the task in defence, keeping tight to Edozie and putting in tackles. While in attack, he linked well with Monga and showed great skill at times too. He seems to have grown considerably in his assuredness since his red card here a few months ago and deserves more chances. 8"Jordan Blackwell - LCFC Live
Meanwhile Skipp (7) provided a moment of pure magic with his sensational strike leveling the scores, along with a generally decent effort. However, defensive efforts were marred by a "clumsy" penalty concession from Caleb Okoli (7). Okoli otherwise performed well alongside partner Ben Nelson (7).
In goal, Jakub Stolarczyk (5) had a difficult afternoon; he was criticized for failing to command his area on the cross that led to James Bree's winner. Divine Mukasa offered a glimpse into the footballing future with a 7; making a steady debut.
On the flanks, Jeremy Monga (5) struggled to find his rhythm and was often isolated. While Stephy Mavididi (6) and Jordan Ayew (an improved 7) found it difficult to break through a resolute Saints backline. Victor Kristiansen (5) was mediocre. Substitute Luke Thomas (typically) lost his man for the winner.
"Jordan Ayew: Much better than his recent outings, partly because there was much more hustle and bustle. He forced a mistake from Quarshie for a good first-half chance, while he played a nice through ball to Mavididi for the opportunity off the line. 7"
The lack of clinical edge was evident as the match progressed. The King Power International Group must hire a permanent manager as City now enter their seventh consecutive game without a win. Poor old Andy King must have wondered why he agreed to take over.