An extensive drought of points has come to an end, as Southampton take their first victory in 5 games against arguably promotion favourites Leeds.
The Saints started strong from the off, with a high press and an aggressive attack towards the ball. They were immediately rewarded, taking the lead only two minutes, in with a 6th goal of the season for Adam Armstrong. Kyle Walker Peters provided a clinical through ball to the striker who buried his right footed shot from a difficult angle into the bottom left corner. The intensity was constant, and a team who have recently seemed disjointed were at long last linking up smoothly and effectively. Leeds had opportunities, however Southampton were constantly at their heels, ready to snatch the ball away at any given moment. Some class saves from Gavin Bazunu left the crowd excited, captain Jack Stephens (who is currently out through injury) shouting his teammates on.
They were rewarded for their efforts twice more before the break. A gorgeous ball in from Sulemana set Southampton’s own Will Smallbone up with another goal, a simple shot from the centre of the box into bottom right in the 31st minute, and then a second goal for Adam Armstrong followed suit only 4 minutes later – once again, the product of an excellent assist by Kamaldeen. The Saints went into the break at a confident 3-0.
If there was ever any doubt over whether Kamaldeen Sulemana was a name to remember then let it be lay to rest. Putting in a man of the match performance for the 60 minutes he was on the pitch, he displayed all the skills and charisma needed to trance the Championship. While his game is not without flaws, with some improvement needed on decision making and consistency, it is a game that deserves the appreciation. His explosive pace and quick feet make him a lethal weapon – he is what I can only describe as a creative curator of chances.
Missing the start of the season through injury, his absence was felt – especially with the departure of starboy Nathan Tella. In a side that can often feel static, turgid and deadlocked he is a breath of fresh air, and an answer to prayers. Southampton have suffered for so long, having an abundance of talent but no trigger player to unleash it – and maybe, just maybe, Sulemana is the solution.
This Leeds game proved that if utilised and highlighted as the release player, Sulemana not only generates opportunity himself, but he also draws defenders out to a degree that allows other players to also create opportunities.
Despite a much improved, the concerns over Southampton’s stability and stamina throughout the game remained. The game was one of two halves and the saints were arguably blessed by a much weaker than average performance from Leeds. The first half was energised, every ball contested for, but the second was slow and sloppy. Players were happy to sit back and welcome press from the opposition, leading to en eventual first goal from the team in blue. Gavin Bazunu played well despite failing to keep a clean sheet once again, however as the game progressed and fans became less patient once again, he became more inclined to distribute the ball up the pitch and down the wing to Walker Peters which was ineffective and wasteful more often than not.
Overall, this was an important 3 points for Southampton and manager under pressure, Russell Martin, and hopefully one that will reignite a flame within the squad. Tuesday’s fixture against Stoke will be a key one as all games seem to be at the moment, but another positive result is needed to help gain momentum. If nothing else, it’s proven that the key element to this teams success will be patience – it is a complete rebuild of a broken system, and one that will take time to establish itself and settle so there must be a significant element of “trust the process” from supporters. So have faith, have hope and have some sense of perspective. Do we look favourites to win promotion? Not at all. But do we look significantly more threatening than the team we watched struggle last season? Most definitely.
This is a transitional phase for the club, but one to be excited about.
Poppy Deabill