Southampton 1-2 Leicester City: Harry Maguire scores stoppage time

Leicester's Harry Maguire makes a tackleImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Southampton have not won in three games this season

Southampton manager Mark Hughes described Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's dismissal as "soft" as his 10 men were punished by a Harry Maguire stoppage-time winner for Leicester.

With 13 minutes remaining, and the game poised at 1-1, midfielder Hojbjerg was shown a second yellow card for diving in the penalty area.

Hughes said the sending-off was "unfortunate" but said Hojbjerg was "walking a tightrope" after being cautioned in the first half for a foul on James Maddison.

After an uninspiring first half at St Mary's, defender Ryan Bertrand gave Saints the lead with a fierce left-footed strike from outside the area.

The advantage stood only briefly as Demarai Gray equalised for the visitors, pouncing on a loose ball to fire home from close range.

But in the second minute of time added on, England defender Maguire wrapped his right foot around the ball from 25 yards out to beat goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Southampton have won only once at home in the Premier League this year, but Hughes said: "The manner of the performance gives me hope for the rest of the season because we definitely deserved to get something out of today's game."

Victory was Leicester's second in succession this season and boss Claude Puel left the south coast having beaten his former club at St Mary's for the second time in a row.

Leicester find a way without Vardy

Maguire may have earned a second Leicester victory in three games to start the season, but this was far from a vintage away performance.

Leicester missed the pace of Jamie Vardy, who was suspended after being sent off in last week's win over Wolves.

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Maguire winner 'no surprise' to Puel

Southampton enjoyed 62% of the possession in the first half, although Leicester responded well after the interval.

The creative James Maddison and Demarai Gray were stifled in attack by Saints' experienced and impressive midfielders Hojbjerg and Mario Lemina.

The service to Kelechi Iheanacho, who won only three of his 10 individual battles, was limited and Leicester struggled to find a way through against towering central defender Jannik Vestergaard.

Redmond & Bertrand set standard for Saints

Nathan Redmond was a constant threat to Leicester and often had the beating of his opposite number Daniel Amartey in the early stages.

The left winger was ably supported by defender Ryan Bertrand, combining well to pepper the Leicester box with crosses as Saints won seven corners in the first 20 minutes.

Success eventually came from that side of the field as Bertrand arrived to smash past Kasper Schmeichel, but Hughes is likely to be concerned about Southampton's lack of potency elsewhere.

Danny Ings and Shane Long were unlikely to trouble Maguire and Wes Morgan aerially, but on the one occasion Redmond played the ball into Ings' feet, the striker spun his marker before being denied by Schmeichel from close range.

Overall, there were not enough balls played in and around the front two as Southampton's possession failed to tell.

Man of the match - Harry Maguire (Leicester)

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Harry Maguire scored the winner but he was also influential at the back as he made 10 clearances for Leicester

'We have to keep this mentality' - what they said

Leicester City manager Claude Puel: "Southampton played very well in the first half with intensity and it was difficult to find space.

"After, we found more space in the second half and the result was deserved. We dominated and we had two or three more chances to score."

On the winning goal: "Harry is a very good player for us. It is fantastic for him to score, for him and the team.

"We have to keep this mentality to the end when we come back in the game."

Southampton manager Mark Hughes: "We were excellent first half. We got our noses in front with a fantastic goal from Ryan but if we managed that game better, we could have come away with something.

"At that point, I thought the only winner was us, but momentum shifted and that was a really hammer blow to lose at the end."

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Southampton beat themselves - Hughes

Southampton throw away lead again - match stats

  • Southampton have lost 24 points from leading positions in the Premier League since the start of 2017-18, the most of any team currently in the top flight.

  • Leicester finally won back-to-back away league matches at Southampton for the first time, on their 40th visit there (W5 D14 L21).

  • Southampton have won only one of their past 13 Premier League matches at St Mary's (W1 D6 L6).

  • Before beating Southampton, Leicester had lost the past six Premier League games in which they had fallen behind.

  • Southampton's Ryan Bertrand netted his first Premier League goal in 43 appearances, since scoring against Chelsea in April 2017.

  • Leicester's Demarai Gray ended a run of 22 Premier League games without a goal, scoring for the first time in the competition since December 2017 v Newcastle.

  • Since the start of last season, Leicester's Premier League games have seen eight red cards given, with only Everton's fixtures producing more in that period (11).

What's next?

Southampton travel to south-coast rivals Brighton and Hove Albion in the second round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday (19:45 BST), before visiting Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, 1 September (15:00).

Leicester host Fleetwood Town in the second round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday (19:45), before entertaining Liverpool on Saturday, 1 September (12:30).

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