Frustration For The Saints – Soton vs Sunderland

The second last-gasp goal in as many games for Southampton denied Paul Di Canio’s Sunderland side their first win of the season.

Fonte celebrates his last-gasp equaliser. Credit: @SouthamptonFC

Following on from an impressive away win against West Bromwich Albion last weekend, big spending Southampton looked to dampen the already waning optimism surrounding a new-look Sunderland side. While many had the visitors down as relegation candidates, it didn’t stop a large number of their own supporters from believing that a high mid-table finish was not out of the question.

Despite suffering a poor opening day home defeat to Fulham, it didn’t take the Black Cats long to bring their own rain to a surprisingly dry St. Mary’s parade. Sebastian Larsson whipped in a brilliant corner which an unmarked 5ft 5in Emanuele Giaccherini got his head onto, powering the ball past a powerless Artur Boruc.

We were asleep in the first three minutes (for Giaccherini’s goal) – it is not acceptable and I take responsibility for it.”

Mauricio Pochettino – Southampton Manager

Southampton responded well and thought they’d equalised in the 6^th minute, only for Jay Rodriguez to find himself flagged marginally offside after slotting home from a neat Lambert through-ball. Southampton continued to have the better of the first half, forcing Sunderland ‘keeper Keiren Westwood into a number of good saves and looking the more likely to score. Despite this, the visitors were defending well and almost doubled their lead when Larsson delivered in another dangerous corner which almost crept inside the post.

The Saints responded to their lack of cutting-edge and introduced new £15 million signing Pablo Osvaldo after the break. Perhaps buoyed by the presence of their new acquisition, Southampton ratcheted up the pressure, with Westwood again being the difference for Sunderland, making yet more good stops to maintain his side’s lead. Come the 88^th minute however, and Westwood was powerless to prevent Jose Rocha Fonte from heading home a James Ward-Prowse free-kick and grabbing a deserved point for the home side.

Writer’s Comment: A hard-fought point for the Saints in a match they would surely have like to have won makes it a steady but unspectacular first two games for Pochettino’s side. Bright points of the game include Ward-Prowse’s dominant midfield performance and the persistence from the team as a whole. However, the defending for the first goal was atrocious and a winger of Giaccherini’s size should never have been given the opportunity to mess up his Italian perm by heading the ball. Also, Southampton’s lack of width is worrying, perhaps one more dip into the purse is necessary.

Man Of The Match: A combative midfield display highlighted by numerous set-piece deliveries which caused many a problem for the Sunderland defence.