Southampton would have felt hard done by that they did not leave the John Smith’s Stadium with all three points on Saturday, Huddersfield Town equalising late on through an unlikely source in Ben Jackson who got the better of Gavin Bazunu in the Saints net.
The point does mean Russell Martin’s Saints are still unbeaten in the league since losing 2-1 away at Middlesbrough in September, but a victory would have been that much sweeter with the knowledge that Ipswich Town would trip up at West Brom in the evening after the Saints had played.
Southampton’s boss could well be tempted to make a few changes here and there for his side’s clash with Bristol City on Wednesday night to bounce back from the Terriers draw and seal a win, here’s Martin’s predicted XI…
1
GK – Alex McCarthy
Straight off the bat, Gavin Bazunu could well be dropped in favour of Alex McCarthy in between the sticks versus Bristol City.
Bazunu has underwhelmed this season in goal and has looked notably shaky in games, Jackson’s equaliser the 27th goal the ex Manchester City goalkeeper has conceded already this campaign.
McCarthy – who is yet to start in the league this term – is also an experienced figure who would fill in competently, the £50k-per-week man a reliable shot-stopper for the Saints when called into action.
2
RB – Kyle Walker-Peters
Walker-Peters will retain his starting spot at right-back against Bristol City, the Saints number two yet to miss a minute of action for Martin’s men in the league.
The 25-year-old’s performance at Huddersfield was solid too, winning six of his eight ground duels in west Yorkshire as per Sofascore.
3
CB – Taylor Harwood-Bellis
Manchester City loanee Taylor Harwood-Bellis will also line up in defence alongside Walker-Peters on Wednesday night, the 21-year-old tipped to be a top talent for the future.
He’s excelling in the Saints set-up currently, however, only losing possession six times out from the back against the Terriers with confidence just exuding from his game in a Southampton strip.
4
CB – Jan Bednarek
Alongside Harwood-Bellis, Martin will likely start the experienced Jan Bednarek at the heart of defence against Bristol City.
Southampton’s Polish number five made five clearances in total at the John Smith’s Stadium to stop waves of Huddersfield attackers from firing an effort on goal, so close to helping his team notch up a clean sheet come the end of the game.
5
LB – James Bree
Formerly on the books at Luton Town, James Bree has been an excellent addition to the Saints ranks since leaving Kenilworth Road behind this year.
Bree didn’t have a standout game away at Huddersfield, but the 26-year-old remained committed to the cause with six of his nine duels on the day won.
6
CM – Will Smallbone
Scoring against West Brom to help the Saints win 2-1 before this Terriers match, Smallbone’s role away at Huddersfield was more focused on helping his team create chances than putting away an opportunity himself.
Smallbone was at the centre of most moves Martin’s men tried to orchestrate to unlock a regimented Terriers side, amassing 101 touches of the ball in the middle of the park.
7
CM – Flynn Downes
Southampton’s number four shone in patches at the John Smith’s Stadium, rocking up 157 touches in total for Martin’s possession-heavy away side over the 90 minutes.
The West Ham United loanee only lost possession six times despite his focal presence in building passing moves, which should see him retained by his manager for the home clash against Bristol City up next.
8
CM – Stuart Armstrong
Stuart Armstrong shone the most out of the midfield trio against Darren Moore’s Huddersfield, assisting Adam Armstrong’s opening strike with a fantastically worked cross into the area which was perfect for the Saints top scorer to convert from.
Having the fewest amount of touches out of the midfield trio at 79, the Scotsman made sure every touch was worthwhile in a sterling 90-minute display.
9
RW – Ryan Fraser
The 29-year-old on loan from Newcastle United put in a competent performance in attack for the Saints, only misplacing one pass all afternoon – 30 of his 31 passes were impressively spot-on.
Yet, his finishing wasn’t quite as accurate to the detriment of his side with zero shots on target registered by Fraser to trouble the opposing goalkeeper. Still, his overall game and application should see him start against Bristol City at home.
10
ST – Adam Armstrong
Martin’s main man up top in Adam Armstrong showed off his goalscoring prowess at Huddersfield again, Ross Stewart waiting in the wings anxiously now for his time to shine.
Armstrong is now onto double figures for the season after his strike on Saturday, hoping that he can get another goal on Wednesday night that spurs his side onto a victory instead of the Saints succumbing to a share of the points.
11
LW – Samuel Edozie
The second change Martin could make is dropping Kamaldeen Sulemana for the upcoming game against Liam Manning’s Robins, playing Samuel Edozie instead.
Edozie looked bright when replacing Sulemana at the weekend, the England U20 international hitting a solitary shot on target that nearly nestled into the back of the net from just 35 minutes of action on the pitch.
He could be afforded a start mid-week therefore, Martin freshening up his attacking line-up in a bid to expose Bristol City’s defence and steer his side to a win from the dug-out.
