Southampton

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton's Jan Bednarek scored in consecutive Premier League games for the first time, having gone 44 appearances in the competition without a goal.

Joe Nelson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

In Newcastle's 3-1 win at Southampton, one thing separated the two teams: a ruthless edge in front of goal.

The Magpies started the game slowly and the Saints made them pay, taking the lead after just 10 minutes through centre-back Jan Bednarek.

The fact I have mentioned his position is worth noting because Southampton's attackers, save for Matheus Fernandes, who took his late finish well before it got ruled out for offside, lacked an edge in front of goal.

At the other end of the pitch, Newcastle's Alexander Isak netted his 16th and 17th Premier League goals of the 2024-25 campaign.

The Swedish striker won a penalty soon after Newcastle went behind, and this goal acted as a catalyst for his team.

Isak curled beyond Alex McCarthy just four minutes later and, after half-time, Sandro Tonali finished with similar confidence.

Newcastle's win means they have won six away from home in the Premier League this term, the same amount they managed in the entirety of 2023-24.

For Southampton, the loss against the Magpies was the first time in their league history that they have been beaten in six consecutive home matches.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Southampton's performance

What did you make of Newcastle's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Six matches make up Saturday's Premier League action.

• Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest

• Brighton v Everton

• Liverpool v Ipswich

• Southampton v Newcastle

• Wolves v Arsenal - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Man City v Chelsea (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

All the talk before Newcastle played Bournemouth was whether Eddie Howe's side could push Liverpool in the title race, but that talk has stopped since they lost 4-1.

They are still right in the mix for a top-four finish, but it is important for them to quickly get back to winning ways - and this seems like a good game for them to do that.

Southampton have made a decent fist of it in their past two games, against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, but they still ended up losing both of them.

Let's face it, they are as good as down. Their situation is so bad that, when we spoke about the relegation battle on this week's Monday Night Club, we didn't even mention them - the assumption is that they are already gone.

Their main aim now is to avoid going down with the lowest points tally in Premier League history.

They have got 16 games left to pick up the six points that would see them beat Derby County's tally of 11 points from 2007-08.

It is a big incentive because Robbie Savage, who was Derby's captain that season, has had to live with that record for years.

I'd really like him to keep hold of it, so let's all pray for Southampton to reach the 12-point mark. I don't see them picking anything up here though.

Sutton's prediction: Southampton 0-2 Newcastle

Read all of his predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

Norwegian football journalist Jonas Giever says new Southampton signing Albert Gronbaek is "quite the offensive number eight".

Gronbaek has moved to St Mary's on loan until the end of the season from Rennes after joining the Ligue 1 club from Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt last summer in a 12m euros deal (£10m).

"If he carries the form he had in Norwegian football, Southampton fans have a lot to look forward to," Giever told BBC Radio Solent. "He is quite the offensive number eight.

"He played in a 4-3-3, sometimes 4-2-3-1 system where he was drifting between the eight and the number 10 at Bodo/Glimt.

"He is primarily a midfielder you look to for offensive contributions but given the fact Bodo/Glimt play with such a high offensive line and press a lot from the front, he was often times one of the players who would be pressing and trying to regain the ball as high up the pitch as possible.

"He is an energetic player although perhaps not the most powerful player. He has a very slim frame and it was pointed out on occasions he lacked a little bit of physicality.

"But, he has tremendous power in his right leg and can hammer them in from distance. He also pops up in the box and got a good chunk of goals and assists considering he was a facilitator in that team.

"It eventually became quite clear that he was a lot better than the league and he moved on for a lot of money."

Listen to the full lowdown on Albert Gronbaek on BBC Sounds

This Premier League pursuit becomes a lot easier if you take your chances.

BBC Sport has checked in on some data comparing goals versus expected goals this season.

You can see from the bar graph some teams aren't finding the goals (yellow) to outstrip the expected goals they should score (black).

Tottenham, Manchester City, Arsenal, Brentford, Newcastle, Brighton, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Leicester have all scored more than expected.

Wolves in particular have found the net 32 times from an expected 23.56 - a significant overperformance.

League leaders Liverpool are pretty much bang on in returning what they should, while Arsenal have outperformed, with 43 goals from an expected 37.78.

Bournemouth - 36 goals from an expected 43 - are leaving opportunities on the table.

Every so often, a player is described by a pundit as someone who "loves to defend".

Most fans would naturally welcome such a sort in their team, that player who stands tall, lets stuff bounce off him and somehow masters the ability to become a magnet to the ball when it enters the penalty area.

BBC Sport took a look at three metrics this season - headed clearances, blocks and tackles - to see which players seem to relish this kind of thing.

Everton's James Tarkowski leads the way, amassing a total of 131 across the three areas, with Brentford's Nathan Collins second. The two men have made 73 headed clearances each, a stat that proves their value when it comes to defending dead balls.

Murillo - fresh from his contract extension at Nottingham Forest - was highlighted in recent weeks for a no-nonsense display against Liverpool, when he frequently launched clearances into the night. He makes the top three across these metrics and while Brazilian players are so often lauded for their flair, he can proudly carry the 'loves-to-defend' tag.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Southampton boss Ivan Juric has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Newcastle (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Aaron Ramsdale "did something yesterday on the training pitch" so will be assessed on Friday.

• Kamaldeen Sulemana "has a little hamstring injury" and is unavailable for Saturday's game. Juric said the "medical staff are scared as he's had problems [with his hamstring] in the past". However, Juric "hopes it's nothing" and that Sulemana will return to training on Monday.

• Following his initial verdict that Tyler Dibling would be sidelined for four to six weeks, Juric said Saints are "now a little bit more optimistic" on the timeline for his return but they cannot confirm until they know more.

• On transfer speculation around Dibling: "There are no assurances in football but I am pretty sure I will be coaching him for the remainder of this year."

• Midfielder Albert Gronbaek, who joined Saints on loan this week, only started training with the group today so is not likely to feature.

• He said his side have put in "some good moments" in recent games but they "have to work on doing it for 90 minutes."

• On the progress being made: "Every day that we work, we are getting better. They understand more and I understand more of them. The players like it because they have noticed they are getting better. They are really working hard."

• He said his side have to work on their in-game "mentality" because it is when they "drop" that they concede and allow teams into games.

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton defender Jan Bednarek spoke to BBC Radio Solent about life under Ivan Juric: "The manager is a really honest person and that is the first thing we need to appreciate about him, that he always reacts. There is no hard feelings, no-one is getting angry - he always does the best thing for the team.

"I think he is a good person and a good manager, we can learn a lot from him. He has a different perspective as a person who comes from a different culture. From any manager, you can learn a lot if you have that willingness to listen and improve.

"He has got a different view of football compared to Russell [Martin]. It's a great experience for the players that we can see how it works in Italy -the way we train, the meetings are different. It's something positive and fresh.

'I like the way we defend. It's really aggressive and front-footed, but it's really hard. A lot of teams play like this in Italy, but over here it is a bit more unusual. Hopefully we can surprise the opposition with that."

Listen to Bednarek's full interview here

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for you what one thing - good or bad - that nobody is talking about at Southampton but should be.

Here are some of your comments:

Joel: Unfortunately, when it was decided Southampton would become a selling club, developing young talent and moving them on for generous fees, no-one had the foresight to recognise a point in time that the conveyor belt may slow up, with the talent pool running dry. Southampton then had to look to lower European leagues for hidden gems. The new directorate are following that same model and you only have to look at the past two seasons to recognise that the strategy has left us completely underprepared for the Premier League. The club needs a new culture and operating model that will retain talent and give the club a platform to build on.

Mark: Next season. This squad will need breaking up - it's shot to pieces confidence wise. We need to return to our historical roots. Homegrown hungry talent and a better recruitment team scouring Europe's lesser leagues. It's going to be a long process to repair the damage of the past few years.

Simon: I think we should acknowledge how many good young players (22 and under) that we have at Southampton. Those who are either currently playing in the Premier League or out on loan can form the basis of a good team going forward.

Jack: I think our biggest problem all season hasn't been the ability of the squad, which is limited, but our collective inability to see out matches. Multiple times this season we've looked decent in the first half and gone into the break 0-0, only to collapse in the second half. I'm not sure you can buy mental resilience in the transfer market!

Anthony: There are four games, out of the fixtures left, where on current form we may be able to get maximum points. That would get us to 18 points. Still terrible but would beat Derby's sad point tally. I think however that we are cursed this season so I am not holding out too much hope.

Harry: After seeing them play in the Championship last season, a lot of supporters and myself felt the last thing the club needed was to gain promotion to the Premier League. It was obvious they would struggle by the way the team tactically played with a naive manager. Another season in the Championship might have made all the difference and made them ready to take on the reality of Premier League football.

Recent performances against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest did show signs of improvement but Southampton remain stranded at the bottom of the table.

There has been much chatter about the quality of the squad and whether they can collect enough points to surpass Derby's miserable record as the worst Premier League team in history.

But you know your club best, so tell us - what's the one thing at Southampton no-one seems to be talking about, but really should be?

Let us know

Tottenham and RB Leipzig are the two main clubs trying to sign Southampton's 18-year-old midfielder Tyler Dibling. (Sky Germany, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Another week down and two more losses to compile more misery on Saints. It is 18 defeats now this season.

The stats will show no points and a further six goals conceded from games at Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, but that does not tell the whole story.

Ivan Juric has this team playing with more confidence and there has been an improvement, but game management continues to be a huge issue - one that has dogged the club for a number of years under a host of managers. It is in the club's DNA, it seems.

For 75 minutes at Old Trafford we looked likely to secure a first away win of the season - and it would have been richly deserved - until Amad Diallo struck a 12-minute hat-trick to sink our hopes again. This prompted yet more concerns over our game management.

Juric said: "We did really well for 70 minutes. Everything was almost perfect, but we have to score more goals. You have to be a little more evil to manage the game differently and we didn't do that."

Forest was the reverse; a total collapse at the start. Being 3-0 down at the break only to stage a comeback to give the fans some more hope ultimately left the Saints faithful feeling the same: heartbroken.

If there was some way to combine the two performances, then we have ourselves a good team and a decent chance in any game. But a total 90-minute display has been non-existent.

There are signs Juric is turning things around. The team looks sharper, and has more energy and intensity.

But time is running out, which begs the question: did Sport Republic wait too long to sack Russell Martin?

I think the answer is even clearer now.

Find more from Ray Hunt at the In that Number podcast, external

Image source, Getty Images

"Southampton have been particularly pathetic with their six points" this season, said former Premier League striker Chris Sutton on the BBC Radio 5 Live Monday Night Club.

It's a bleak situation for the Saints, who performed well against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest but left both grounds with no points.

"It's awful," added Sutton. "They could end up beating Derby's record, that's how bad they are.

"We aren't even talking about them possibly staying up and even the most hardened Southampton fans have given up.

"They have had a totally miserable season after the highs of beating Leeds at Wembley last season. They probably wish they'd lost the play-off final!"

Listen to the Monday Night Club on BBC Sounds

Tom Gayle
MOTD2 commentator at The City Ground

Image source, Getty Images

Ivan Juric has only been in the Premier League for five matches, but he is by far the most animated managerial character in the English top flight right now.

He kicks every ball during each passage of play and demonstrably debates each decision. His movement ranges from down on one knee to sprinting across the technical area, and he does not stop talking to his Southampton players.

The main thing which stuck out to me, seeing the 49-year-old in the flesh for the first time, is he clearly cares - evidenced by his actions during the game and also the selection and tactical decisions he is making to try to produce better results.

Russell Martin cared, but resisted calls to change how Southampton set up. As was the case with Vincent Kompany at Burnley last season, the demands of Martin's style of play did not correlate with the collective quality of his squad to pick up points in the Premier League.

Juric is a pragmatist. Everyone has a clean slate. The likes of Kamaldeen Sulemana, Paul Onuachu, James Bree and Lesley Ugochukwu have all earned more minutes under the new manager than they did in Martin's 16 Premier League games in charge.

Tactical tweaks have seen a switch to a back three, a consistent use of two attacking strikers and, from what I am told, players sticking to their strengths, rather than being asked to do things they struggle with. Juric has seen what does not work, and is exploring what can be done differently.

The reality is a lot of the same frailties remain - most blatantly the defensive mistakes which continue to be punished by opposition goals.

Yet Southampton show no signs of rolling over. Their manager is looking for complete buy-in.

Juric took the decision for the squad not to travel home following their defeat by Manchester United, instead they based themselves at St George's Park in the build-up to the Nottingham Forest game.

While Juric achieved unwanted history by becoming the first permanent Southampton manager ever to lose their opening five league games in charge, the past two performances - in his words, "80 minutes" at Old Trafford and then Sunday's "second half" - have shown signs the team are moving in the right direction, albeit from a very low starting point.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Southampton striker Jo Tessem, speaking on BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast on Sunday's 3-2 defeat at Nottingham Forest: "I was very frustrated after the first half. The game was gone.

"There were the mistakes that led to the goals, but the reaction after was the scary bit. It was too easy - three simple goals we conceded and that took us to half time 3-0 down.

"Then there was the messiness of what happened in the second half. When you go away from home you don't need to entertain anyone, you just need to make things messy and get your opponent out of their rhythm.

"We totally got Forest out of their rhythm and when the messiness stopped we suddenly looked like the football team and were creating chances.

"We got the two goals and suddenly we were in the game and a toe from [Ola] Aina saved Forest from an embarrassing second half.

"It would have been a massive comeback but still we didn't get over the line."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Southampton.

Here are some of your comments:

Forest fans:

Sean: Concerning injury to Hudson-Odoi, but otherwise business as usual. Clinical in the first half, let Southampton back into it in the second, but held out defensively once again. Plenty of Forest fans checking their passports, and why not?

Tom: Typical Forest. Get to 3-0 by half-time and then mess about. Nearly paid for not killing it off. Aina made a crucial goalline clearance. Injury time was agony.

John: This should never have been the final score. Forest were so far ahead in performance and score by half-time it was almost embarrassing. Southampton's first was an dodgy own goal and with two awful offside decisions by VAR and Anthony Taylor at both ends - both against Forest - it somehow ended 3-2. A travesty given the difference between the sides, performance and league position.

John: A quality start turned into a scrappy ending, badly refereed. Nuno could see what Southampton's tactics were and subbed some key players to protect them - but the subs looked worryingly naive. Sels, the back four and Anderson kept us in front. Some great stuff in the first half but the midfield and Awoniyi looked off it in the second.

Southampton fans:

Neil: Southampton the usual mixed bag - attacking intent and good possession coupled with mistakes and major defensive frailty. Players like Bednarek seem to always get away with it, while players who have been good seem to always get subbed off. Could it be time to give Bella-Kotchap some minutes on the pitch? Or maybe we need to go back to 4-4-2 so that our midfield is less easy to slice through?

David: Let's fast forward to the last part of the match. This was like the Benjamin Button movie. The players fought tooth and nail and did not give up. An observation: Armstrong, Archer and Downes do not have the Sulemana effect that the manager has created. Silly individual errors are costing us severely.

David: At last some determination shown by Saints after some (again) silly mistakes in the first half. Two goals conceded in the same corner of the goal, and a fumble by Ramsdale - Could have been 3-3 if Bednarek's attempt had not been kicked off the line - Saints lost, but at least there was a great effort put in for all those travelling fans.

Ross: Juric may not have the points to show for it, but the team has looked much better since he came in. We just can't sustain it for 90 minutes, whether that's a poor start or a poor end to the match. Chuffed for big tall Paul breaking his duck.

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's four Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brentford 0-2 Liverpool

• Aston Villa 2-2 Arsenal

• Everton 3-2 Tottenham

• Man Utd 1-3 Brighton

• Ipswich 0-6 Man City

The latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast has landed. Listen to Adam and Jo as they reflect on Southampton's near comeback against Nottingham Forest.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton defender Jan Bednarek speaking to Sky Sports after their defeat: "Completely opposite halves. First one was really bad and the second was really good. We were really close to getting something from a tough place to play. We need to learn really quickly that United in the last 15 minutes and the first 45 here was not acceptable.

"We missed intensity. The way we played was too slow. We have to learn and hopefully, we get more intense."

Did he mean his goal: "No, I just wanted to touch the ball because I felt like it was going off target. I just wanted to touch the ball. We had chances to get something today but it wasn't enough.

"As you can see, we are a good side but we miss consistency. We have to do it for 90 minutes and focus on those moments where we have to stick together."