Carlos Alcaraz scored the only goal of the game to help Southampton produce one of the narrow football scores of the weekend in the Premier League. January enrollment Alcaraz’s first-half strike (35) came minutes after Danny Ward saved a penalty from James Ward-Prowse, and it proved pivotal on the south coast between two sides fighting for survival. Kelechi Iheanacho squandered three clear chances before Harry Souttar hit the crossbar with a header seconds before the final whistle as Leicester failed to break down a tenacious Southampton side that won their first Premier League home game since August. Southampton has risen above Bournemouth, who lost 3-2 at Arsenal earlier in the day, and is now one point below 17th-placed Leeds. Leicester sits 15th, three points above the relegation zone, after their third straight league defeat.
Southampton had gone winless in their previous eight Premier League home games, dating back to the visit of Chelsea to Saint Mary’s in August. Saints manager Ruben Selles made changes, and his bet, which included a rare start for Theo Walcott, paid off as the club moved off the bottom of the table, albeit on goal difference. It was also a welcome boost following the shock FA Cup loss to League Two Grimsby in midweek. Walcott, starting for the first time since the World Cup, had a half-chance early on after being picked out by Ainsley Maitland-Niles, but his final shot lacked punch.
Iheanacho got on the end of a James Maddison free-kick in the 20th minute but couldn’t direct his header goalward. The rest of the first half lacked quality and chances, but Southampton was saved in the 30th minute when referee Robert Jones directed to the spot after Walcott’s cross struck Timothy Castagne’s hand. Ward, on the other side, saved Prowse’s Ward-spot-kick after correctly predicting. The midfielder, who is known for his free-kick talents, has missed both penalties he has taken this season for the Hampshire club.
Southampton, on the other hand, immediately regrouped and scored in the 35th minute when the returning Che Adams fed Alcaraz, who ran away from the Leicester defense before deftly slotting the ball past Ward. Despite a lengthy VAR review for potential offside on Adams, the goal was allowed to stand. Alcaraz, who joined Racing Club in January, appeared to injure himself during his celebratory slide and was eventually removed in the 50th minute.
After being picked out at the far post, Iheanacho had another headed chance in the first half, but he could only nudge the ball wide. Brendan Rodgers’ side attempted to claw their way back into the contest, dominating possession and chances. Iheanacho had another chance after Gavin Bazunu’s poor clearance, but the Leicester attacker shot wide. As Bazunu failed to deal with a cross into the box, the visitors had another opportunity, but defender Souttar could only head the ball over the crossbar.
“Performance may always be improved. We didn’t play our best game, but there are plenty of things to take away, particularly three points,” Southampton head coach Ruben Selles said. “I witnessed a group of people working together and suffering together. We still need to make some decisions, but we got through the tough times. I’ll concentrate on improving my performance for next week, but it was vital to demonstrate unity, to show that we’re still alive and working as a group. We are both learning. This season hasn’t been kind to us in terms of results. The game against Manchester United next week will be difficult, but we will prepare to win at Old Trafford.”
“I’m sad with the score, but the performance was exactly what we wanted, and I believe the main disappointment was that we didn’t capitalize on the opportunities that we created. On another night, we might have scored three or four goals,” Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said. “We got off to a terrific start and moved into good areas. We just missed that little piece of quality that can make or break a project. We lost control for a brief moment, but it was enough. It takes a lot of effort to control a game for 90 minutes. The goal disappointed us, but the players rallied. We advised them at halftime to keep calm and work the ball into the appropriate areas, and they did just that. We were unable to complete the opportunities that we had established.”
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