Southampton bounced back superbly from the end of their long unbeaten run in midweek as they comfortably beat West Bromwich Albion to climb back up to second in the Championship.
Just three nights after losing 3-1 at Bristol City, the Saints’ first defeat in 25 games, Russell Martin’s powerful, smoothly efficient side beat fifth-placed Albion with a neatly taken goal in each half from Ryan Fraser and David Brooks.
Admittedly, Albion were upset by the early loss of head coach Carlos Corberan, bizarrely red-carded for making the human error of, unwittingly, trying to collect the ball from his technical area before it had gone out of play.
But, on a night when Corberan’s team were watched by prospective new American owner Shilen Patel, the hosts produced little to avoid only their fourth home league defeat in 31 games, in the 16 months since the Spaniard took charge.
Albion were certainly unsettled by the freak incident that earned Corberan an unexpected seat in the stand for ‘misconduct’ – and his second red card of the season – when he left his technical area to retrieve the ball, only to discover the ball had not actually gone out of play.
But Southampton striker Adam Armstrong had already been denied by keeper Alex Palmer on the edge of the box before Fraser’s 14th-minute right-foot volley put Saints ahead.
Stuart Armstrong curled over a chip to beyond the far post and the unmarked former Bournemouth and Newcastle winger had the time and space to steer home a neat volley with his right instep, which beat Palmer’s despairing dive to go inside the right upright.
In a better spell for the Baggies before the break, John Swift sent a powerful right-foot shot just wide before a desperate penalty shout when Darnell Furlong’s shot hit Jack Stephens, whose arm was up in self-defence.
Stephens then cleared off the line from Okay Yokuslu’s flicked header and Swift had a shot just over at the start of the second half.
But Albion could find nothing more, before the visitors closed the door 17 minutes from time.
Substitute Joe Aribo found Stuart Armstrong, who worked the ball on the left to Sam Edozie – he slipped in fellow substitute Brooks and the Bournemouth loan man coolly diverted a low left-foot shot past Palmer.
Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu did have to make one late save, when he turned over Yokuslu’s free header – but the Baggies were long since beaten.
Southampton manager Russell Martin:
“This was our best win of the season. Not many teams win here.
“The questions were asked of us to see how we responded [to Tuesday’s defeat at Bristol City] – and this was a big moment for us.
“Carlos Corberan is a fantastic coach. But he and I have both learned a new rule tonight.
“It seems a crazy one. He wasn’t trying to stop play intentionally. It’s nonsense really.”
Line-ups
West Brom
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 24Palmer
- 2Furlong
- 4Kipré
- 15Pieters
- 3Townsend
- 35YokusluBooked at 50minsSubstituted forChalobahat 81′minutes
- 27Mowatt
- 7J WallaceSubstituted forDianganaat 65′minutes
- 19SwiftSubstituted forMarshallat 64′minutes
- 23JohnstonSubstituted forReachat 65′minutes
- 21Thomas-AsanteBooked at 44minsSubstituted forFellowsat 45′minutes
Substitutes
- 6Ajayi
- 11Diangana
- 14Chalobah
- 17Weimann
- 20Reach
- 25Marshall
- 26Ávila Gordón
- 31Fellows
- 33Griffiths
Southampton
Formation 4-3-3
- 31Bazunu
- 2Walker-Peters
- 21Harwood-Bellis
- 35Bednarek
- 5Stephens
- 24CharlesSubstituted forAriboat 58′minutes
- 16SmallboneBooked at 55mins
- 17S ArmstrongSubstituted forRothwellat 82′minutes
- 9A ArmstrongSubstituted forBrooksat 68′minutes
- 18MaraSubstituted forSulemanaat 82′minutes
- 26FraserSubstituted forEdozieat 58′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Manning
- 7Aribo
- 13Lumley
- 19Rothwell
- 20Sulemana
- 23Edozie
- 27Amo-Ameyaw
- 33Dibling
- 36Brooks
- Referee:
- Sam Allison
- Attendance:
- 25,066
Live Text
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Match ends, West Bromwich Albion 0, Southampton 2.
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Second Half ends, West Bromwich Albion 0, Southampton 2.
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Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Conor Townsend (West Bromwich Albion).
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Will Smallbone (Southampton) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Alex Mowatt (West Bromwich Albion).
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Substitution, Southampton. Kamaldeen Sulemana replaces Sékou Mara.
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Substitution, Southampton. Joe Rothwell replaces Stuart Armstrong.
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Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Nathaniel Chalobah replaces Okay Yokuslu.
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Attempt missed. Callum Marshall (West Bromwich Albion) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Alex Mowatt with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Jan Bednarek.
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Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Gavin Bazunu.
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Attempt saved. Okay Yokuslu (West Bromwich Albion) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Grady Diangana.
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Attempt blocked. Adam Reach (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Cédric Kipré.
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Goal! West Bromwich Albion 0, Southampton 2. David Brooks (Southampton) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Samuel Edozie.
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Attempt missed. Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Southampton) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Stuart Armstrong with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Alex Mowatt.
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Attempt blocked. Samuel Edozie (Southampton) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Joe Aribo.
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Substitution, Southampton. David Brooks replaces Adam Armstrong.
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Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Adam Reach replaces Mikey Johnston.
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