Southampton 4-1 Brentford (Bednarek ‘5, Janelt ’23, Alvaro OG ’37, Broja ’49, Adams ’70)
Southampton’s new owners will have enjoyed their first taste of Premier League football since the takeover was completed as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side earned their biggest league win over the season against Brentford.
The Saints had got off to the perfect start as James Ward-Prowse vindicated Thomas Frank’s fears about his set pieces by directing a training ground-routine corner into the box, taking a light touch off the head of Jan Bednarek on its way in.
That was the England hopeful’s third assist in his last four games in all competitions, but it was a less familiar source who nearly doubled Southampton’s lead.
Nathan Tella latched onto a misplaced header before racing the length of the Brentford half, only to find he was unaccompanied before being hustled out of possession by Pontus Jansson.
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When the opportunity did come, it fell to the feet of Vitaly Janelt, who rarely finds himself on the scoresheet but when he does, it is often the result of something spectacular.
The midfielder was indebted to Bryan Mbeumo surging past Mohammed Salisu, before the Frenchman teed up Janelt for a powerful left-footed volley past Fraser Forster.
Ibrahima Diallo thought he had put Southampton back in front when the ball came to him in the aftermath of another Ward-Prowse corner. Indeed he had, but his scuffed long-range shot was marked down as an Alvaro Fernandez own goal after bouncing in off the post.
Alvaro tried to redeem himself with a reaching save to keep out Romain Perraud, and he almost intervened with one foot when Armando Broja found himself through on goal.
Broja was able to angle his run though before firing in Southampton’s third.
Substitute Che Adams got in on the act thanks to another moment of sloppiness in possession from Brentford, with the Scotland international taking one touch off a long ball up the pitch and bundling past an onrushing Alvaro.
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Player ratings
Southampton
- Forster –7
- Bednarek – 7
- Lyanco – 7
- Salisu – 6
- Tella – 7
- Ward-Prowse – 8
- Romeu – 7
- Diallo – 7
- Perraud – 6
- Redmond – 7
- Broja – 7
Substitutes:
- Adams – 7
- S Armstrong – 6
- A Armstrong – 6
Brentford
- Fernandez – 5
- Ajer – 5
- Jansson – 5
- Pinnock – 6
- Roerslev – 5
- Janelt – 7
- Norgaard – 6
- Baptiste – 6
- Canos – 5
- Mbeumo – 7
- Toney – 5
Substitutes:
- Wissa – 7
- Jensen – 6
- Stevens – 6
Analysis
It was just the second game under Sport Republic’s ownership and they will have learned much more about their new outfit from a victory over a similarly placed Premier League club than the FA Cup third round win against Swansea.
Hasenhuttl won’t be totally content with what his players served up, as while there has been plenty of discussion focusing on Brentford’s leaky defence, the same can be said of their opponents.
Southampton have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last nine Premier League games. That run has admittedly taken in Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham.
While it’s a concern, it’s being counterbalanced by the attack, with 11 goals in their last five games. It’s also the first time they’ve scored four goals in the league since November 2020.
It is hard to judge the Saints in their current form at any rate, left short by suspensions for Yan Valery and Kyle Walker-Peters. Tino Livramento (knee), Alex McCarthy (hamstring), Will Smallbone (calf) were also sidelined, while Moussa Djenepo is on international duty with Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations.
For the onlooking Dragan Solak and co, the next few weeks are likely to be immaterial. Southampton face a pair of tricky fixtures – away to Wolves and at home to league-leaders Manchester City – but their vision was always going to be about the longer term and unlike Newcastle, they are not being cornered into January moves by any serious predicament.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3zOszqE
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