Southampton 2-3 Leicester: Three Foxes Talking Points

A game of two halves

The encounter with the Saints was the second in a series of four games deemed to be winnable matches for the Foxes. Southampton had yet to win a match this season. But they were really up for game one seeing it as an opportunity to gain their first three-point haul.

 Few could have been prepared for what happened. In unbelievable drama, the Foxes came from two goals down to score the winner in the 97th minute of the game, the latest winner in a Premier League game since the 2006/7 season. Two defensive lapses in the opening 30 minutes put City behind as Kyle Walker-Peters was twice allowed to escape his marker and cross low for tap ins. City put considerable pressure on the Saints goal as the half progressed hitting the post through Bilal El Knannouss but without really troubling Aaron Ramsdale in the Southampton goal. 

Winks came on for Skipp for the second half but it wasn’t until Abdul Fatawu replaced Victor Kristiansen that the game changed. He ran the Saints defence ragged creating the first goal with a surging run and low cross for Facundo Buonanotte to bundle in, hitting the underside of the crossbar and moments later heading at the far post for Vardy who, after a VAR review, was adjudged to have been impeded on the goal line by Ryan Fraser who was given his marching orders. A Vardy penalty levelled things up. The drama wasn’t over as, with time running out, a Jordan Ayew shot from the edge of the area squirmed under Ramsdale’s desperate dive. What a second half and what a vital win.

Team selection

Victory in consecutive matches relieves pressure on Steve Cooper. Arguably, though, he can be criticised for his initial team selection. He did start with both Buonanotte and El Knannouss suggesting an attacking mentality. However, the continued absence of Ricardo Pereira and Fatawu from the starting XI remains a bone of contention amongst Foxes’ fans. More recently, the relegation of Winks to the bench is even more of a surprise. 

The first half performance was poor. Both James Justin and Victor Kristiansen looked uncomfortable and both goals came from the right hand side. Although Leicester had a lot of possession and hit the post, Southampton could have scored more. Foxes’ fans chanted, not for the first time this season, for Cooper to ‘sort it out’, the prelude, one suspects, to ‘Cooper Out’.  

To be fair to the manager, though, his second half substitutions transformed the game. Fatawu, roared on by the Blue Army, was immense, as, for only the second time this season, the Foxes played with the two wingers who made a crucial contribution last year. Moreover, Justin looked much more effective when he moved over to the left when Kristiansen was substituted, and Winks looked back to his best in the middle of the park.

The question is: will Cooper have learnt some lessons from the transformative second half performance? Another question is where the Foxes need strengthening. Rumours about the possible loan return of Ben Chilwell, as reported by FoL, divides opinion but it may be an astute move

A word of praise for the Saints

Travelling to away matches can be a trying experience, irrespective of the result. I wrote before on FoL about the length of time it took to get to Selhurst Park and the viewing restrictions at Palace’s dilapidated stadium. There are no similar problems at St Mary’s. The stewards were courteous, there was no overbearing security and the stadium, like the King Power, has good views from every seat. The away section has moved to the other end of the ground and safe standing, still non-existent at City’s ground, has been installed. It’s a pity that, with only one point from their opening eight games, the Saints may well not be in the Premier League next season.