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19 October 2024

Southampton 2 Leicester 3

If it is possible to already be getting that sinking feeling seven games into the season, then Saints’ fans must feel like they are on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. As they welcomed Leicester City to St Mary’s, they must have seen this as a huge chance to get a first win on the board against a fellow newly-promoted team in The Foxes.

Both managers were hoping their sides’ futures were as bright as the autumn sunshine on the south coast. Southampton started the better of the two sides. Showing an air of confidence that we have yet to see much this season. Manning swung in a dangerous corner and Aribo rose to meet it with a thunderous header, only to see his effort come crashing back off the crossbar.

Then The Saints’ fans got to go on a real rollercoaster of emotions. Ramsdale mishit a pass out towards Buonanotte but the midfielder was beaten to it and committed a foul. The hosts took a quick free kick which set Walker-Peters away, feeding it to Manning out wide. His cross picked out Archer in the box for the easiest of finishes to give his side the lead.

For Russell Martin’s side and fans, there has been all too little to celebrate so far this season. With that in mind, you can understand why St Mary’s erupted like they had just found out Portsmouth had gone out of business. They had been threatening from the kick-off but finally had a goal to show for all their hard work against The Foxes.


Southampton grew in confidence after the goal. Walker-Peters continued to create carnage out wide and crossed from the byline to find Aribo. He was unmarked in the middle, just seven yards out. The midfielder did not need a second invite as he slotted the ball home to double their lead. Saints’ fans were in dreamland as their team were finally giving them a performance to be proud of.

They could have added a third before the break when Downes had a shot from close range. Hermansen managed to get something on it and dive on the ball before it trickled over the line. At this stage of the game, the home fans were thinking this was going to be a rout. The last thing on their mind was rueing that missed opportunity.

Steve Cooper is a man who constantly looks like the sun is in his eyes. He must have been thankful for it as El Khannouss tried to bend one in the far corner, only to see it come back off the inside of the post and go clear. The Foxes needed to find some way back into this game and that chance was their first real glimpse of goal on the south coast.

After the interval, Southampton continued to press. A sublime cross into the box was met by the diving head of Faes. His bullet-header was heading into the top corner of his own goal but Hermansen made a world-class save to tip it behind for a corner. The David Luiz lookalike plays like him so often and is another player with an inbuilt self-destruct button.


With just under half an hour remaining, things were starting to get desperate for the visitors. Cooper brought on Fatawu, a decision which would end up changing the game. He got to the byline and crossed into the box for Buonanotte to bundle the ball over the line. The away end erupted as they saw a feint glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel.

The Saints’ confidence is as fragile as a German living in Argentina who has just spotted the ‘Nazi Hunters’ film crew slinking their way through the backstreets of Buenos Aires. They came forward again with Manning crossing to the near post to pick out Archer. His scuffed effort was heading well wide of the goal before Leicester put it behind for a corner.

Southampton’s striker has been less than prolific in front of goal during his time in the Premier League. Some have said, had he been born in medieval times, this Archer would have caused the battle between England and France to be renamed the 687 Years’ War. The Saints may need to get reinforcements in when the transfer window opens.

As the resulting corner came in, Harwood-Bellis had a free header at the back post. Sadly his goal bound effort was cleared behind by the visitors. Martins’ side tried again and felt they should have had a penalty when Ayew was trying to rip the shirt off the back of one of their players. The referee and VAR studio took the Stevie Wonder approach to the incident though.


Leicester went straight down the other end and Fatawu cut in from the right and tried his luck from distance. His shot struck the underside of the bar and came back out. The Foxes recycled and a dangerous cross into the back post saw the substitute’s effort brilliantly saved by Ramsdale with the rebound being cleared behind for a corner before Vardy could tap home.

At this point The Saints’ fans felt this was going to be their day. The VAR studio then said ‘hold my pint’. They sent the referee to the monitor. He opted to give Leicester a penalty for a pull on the back of Vardy’s shirt and sent off Fraser for the foul. The Southampton substitute’s contribution was to last all of eleven minutes in this game. More controversy as the hosts were denied a spot kick for the same moments earlier.

Vardy stepped up and drilled the ball into the back of the net, St Mary’s fell silent. With only time added on to play, the hosts were holding on for dear life. A mishit shot from De Cordova-Reid fell to the feet of Buonanotte. He dragged his shot narrowly wide of the goal and the travelling fans felt they had wasted their final chance to win this game.

In the 98th minute, Winks cut a corner back to the edge of the box and Ayew struck a first-time shot. It nestled into the bottom corner of the goal to send the away end into delirium. This was the worst possible way for The Saints to lose. Leicester had grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat and Russell Martin’s job looked about as secure as the country’s last lamplighter.


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