Starting XI:
Jordan Pickford - 8
A relatively quiet night for Pickford by a large, Southampton only had one shot on target all night but it fell right at the end of the game and he made a vital save to keep us ahead. His kicking was superb all game, helped the team play out from the back with some great passes. Flapped at a couple of crosses at the end but a good performance overall.
Mason Holgate - 7
Coleman’s “light” injury meant Holgate would start at right back and it was a solid performance from him in this one. Defensively he was sound, kept Redmond quiet all night and won his aerial duels. He also earned several fouls that gave us the chance to put some dangerous free kicks into the box. His distribution wasn’t great and he strayed offside in the lead up to Keane’s disallowed goal when he really didn’t need to. Ultimately, he did what was required of him in a defensive capacity even if he did leave a bit to be desired in an attacking sense.
Ben Godfrey - 7
Another Everton player who put in a solid performance. Tidied up at the back well, passing was good, won everything in the air and could have even had a goal if he managed to get a better connection on his shot from Keane’s knockdown. Had a scare when he got the wrong side of Adam’s who went down in the penalty box but VAR and the referee rightfully saw nothing wrong with it.
Michael Keane - 7.5
Would have had a goal if not for the offside against Holgate. He defended diligently throughout and actually looked to be our biggest goal threat throughout the game. He had a few dangerous moments from set pieces, had a glancing header fall just wide in the second half and headed a dangerous ball back across which Godfrey ultimately put wide. Kept his composure at the end as Southampton looked to build pressure, won all of his defensive headers in the last 10-15 minutes.
Lucas Digne - 7
A decent defensive performance on the whole, though he did get pulled out of position for Djenepo’s chance that very nearly earned Southampton a point at the death. Wasn’t quite as threatening as he usually is going forward which seemed to limit our chances in the final third, particularly without James. He put a great cross in for Keane’s disallowed goal though.
Abdoulaye Doucouré - 6
This wasn’t one of Doucoure’s best games, he started in very similar fashion to the derby, some poor touches and misplaced passes to surrender possession cheaply. The difference was that he gradually improved on Saturday, which he didn’t really do in this game. That said his energy was valued as always and he put himself about defensively, particularly in the latter stages as we looked to hold on to the 1-0.
Allan - 7
A solid return for Allan after two and a half months out with a hamstring injury. He lost possession easily on a couple of occasions but otherwise it was a sound performance from the Brazilian. He anchored the midfield well, and made a nuisance of himself in defence to win the ball back. A positive sign of things to come from Allan, once he’s back to full fitness. Not too mention his skinhead and predators combo was a highlight of the night.
André Gomes - 8.5 (MOTM)
André was my man of the match tonight. He won all of his battles in the midfield both in possession and defensively. He kept the ball brilliantly, he was strong and held off opponents well. His passing range is superb, I’m more confident in him finding a 35-yard pass than I am of him playing a 5-yard pass at times. It was another encouraging performance from Gomes, hopefully he’s starting to find his way back to his best.
Gylfi Sigurdsson - 7
For large parts of the game Sigurdsson struggled to make an impact. He couldn’t get himself on the ball much, particularly in the second half as the game seemed to pass him by. That said, he provided the killer pass for Richarlison to open the scoring which ultimately won the game. Put in some threatening set pieces as well.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin - 7
Much like the rest of the front three, opportunities were at a premium for DCL, his threat was often limited to set pieces but he never had any significant goal scoring chances in the game. Hold up play was spot on as usual and he was a monster in the air. Salisu did not fancy the tussle with him at all and was hooked by Hasenhüttl after an hour. Had a hand in the goal as it was his header to flick the ball on to Sigurdsson that crated the chance for Richarlison.
Richarlison - 8
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