Southampton

One point from seven games has left Southampton joint bottom after seven games with debate growing over whether Russell Martin's style of play is suited to the Premier League.

An improved performance against Arsenal before the international break has, however, given fans something to cling to.

However, while performances and tactics are key issues, you know the things that are flying under the radar.

So when it comes to the Saints, what is the one thing nobody is talking about - good or bad?

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BBC Sport pundit Fara Williams will be answering your questions, giving her insight and opinion around your club.

So what would you like to ask the former England midfielder?

What can your team achieve after their start to the season? Who has been your best player so far? What does the manager's future hold?

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A relegation-related question was put to BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty in Monday's Q&A.

Rachel asked: Considering the start a couple of Premier League teams have had, have you changed your mind about who is going to go down this year?

Phil answered: I made the choice of Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town, so I have to stick with that for now.

From what I have watched, though, I can see Ipswich making a decent fist of it and then we have the struggles for Wolves, who I thought would be doing better than they have - so that is always a bit of a wildcard.

I'm at Southampton v Leicester this weekend so maybe I'll learn more then.

Read more of the Q&A with Phil and the rest of the day's football news

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Former Southampton captain Jason Dodd says he is concerned Russell Martin is unsure of his best side and that the manager's style of play may cost the Saints in the Premier League.

"I think when you looked at those first seven games you thought 'there's a few opportunities here to be picking up some points'," Dodd told BBC Radio Solent.

"We didn't really expect to beat Arsenal but in some of the other games you are expecting us to pick up points. That is a worry because I felt there were two or three wins in there early in the season.

"The worrying thing is from my point of view, I'm still not so sure the manager really knows what his best XI is.

"In the Premier League you can't be gifting goals to the opposition because they're that clinical and we're under pressure again. It does worry me.

"He has slightly changed it and he's not going sideways and backwards as much and we're being a little bit more forward thinking but I think that's just the way we are.

"We always resort back to that and we're gifting quality sides easy goals. That is going to cost us in the longer run."

When asked about the view that Martin's style of play will not work in the Premier League, Dodd added: "I agree totally.

"But then again this is the manager's philosophy, it's then up the players to not make the mistakes. You can blame the manager for how he wants them to play but then it's over to the players. If they're continually making these mistakes it is going to be costly.

"It's a catch-22 situation. This is how Russell Martin wants to play but have we got the players to be able to do that? Just in these seven games the vast majority of the goals we've conceded we've had a say in how we've conceded and that is a worry."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

Former manager Mark Warburton talks to The Football News Show about how managers can deal with mental health struggles while working at a club and what support there is available to them.

Watch The Football News Show's Mental Health special

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

The top sides picked up their customary three points, but the Premier League newbies are still trying to find that something special to get them out of the danger zone.

‌I reckon each now knows the player that is likely to save them, the question is, are these three going to be good enough at this level.

‌Leicester have Facundo Buonanotte, a class creative act on loan from Brighton who has the vision and skill to cause the best defences problems. Brighton might want him back as soon as possible, so the Foxes must get the most out of the 19-year-old starlet in the meantime.

‌Southampton continue to breezily give goals away in exactly the same style every week, but at the other end of the field they have two exciting prospects in 22-year-old Cameron Archer and 18-year-old Tyler Dibling. The latter has only started four Premier League games but has already shown that he could be their true star, with other bigger clubs already eyeing him jealously. He has to mature and grow quickly if he is going to save the Saints, but look how quickly Cole Palmer matured.

‌As for Ipswich, Liam Delap is clearly the man, having already scored four goals in eight games this season. The 21-year-old started out at Manchester City, but it isn’t easy to get a game there. There is a temptation to think of him as a bargain-basement Erling Haaland, but it is unfair to compare anyone with the Norwegian. Delap is a top striker in the making.

‌So the promoted clubs are relying on a 19-year-old, an 18-year-old and a 21-year-old to keep them in the Premier League.

‌Each is a long shot, but each at least gives them a chance.

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Southampton's hierarchy are set to meet to discuss manager Russell Martin’s future at the club. (Football Insider), external

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

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

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After Monday’s dismal performance at Bournemouth, fans were preparing for more misery heading to the Emirates.

But it wasn’t the massacre we all predicted, and in fact, there were plenty of positives to take away.

Despite only one point from seven - the joint-worst start for 26 years - Saints frustrated the title challengers and even took a shock lead when Cameron Archer slotted home his first Premier League goal, 10 minutes after the restart.

Defensive improvements were evident, particularly in the first half, but would ultimately come unstuck.

Tyler Dibling continues to turn heads with his abilities, which has seen him included in all of Russell Martin’s matchday squads this season. He extended his good form with another eye-catching game, producing our best attacking moments - a shot which clipped the post and a mazy run leading to Mateus Fernandes hitting the bar.

Forgotten striker Paul Onuachu made his first appearance since August 2023, after a successful loan spell with Trabzonspor where he managed 15 goals in 21 appearances in the Turkish top flight - a team best. With the unfortunate injury to Ross Stewart, there may be a reason for Martin to use the 6f 7in Nigerian striker as a different option. Can we rely on him?

Perhaps the best positive to take was the response from Monday. A slither of hope will have been restored with this resilient performance. If it’s possible, the pressure may have eased on Martin.

With Leicester, Everton and Wolves sandwiching a trip to defending champions Manchester City, this has to spur them on. If we can show that same level of fight and eagerness to defend then who knows?

Martin said post-match: "They are not the games that are going to define us. The games that define us are coming up. We have to do better in those."

I am certainly more hopeful than I was after Monday.

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

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A VAR related question was put to chief football writer Phil McNulty on Monday's Q&A.

@nubiblue on 'X' asked: Is the new improved VAR working? To me it continues to favour certain clubs.

Phil answered: First of all, I don't believe VAR favours certain clubs and quite honestly, I've not noticed too much difference or huge improvement.

Maybe a little less interference but I confess I lost a lot of faith in VAR after initially being a strong advocate.

I would be happy with semi-automated offside and line technology.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Southampton.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Dan: Havertz has matured into a different player to the one from Chelsea. We needed saints to score to stun us into the performance the result deserved.

Phil: Surprised to see Partey in a full-back role but he did OK. Jesus looked lost and ran around not actually contributing much at all. Surely his confidence and football brain is on the wane. Thought Trossard and Martinelli should have started. We certainly struggled up front to create real chances but we were more composed when they came on.

Nurudein: What a slow start from Arsenal - too relaxed at home until Southampton provoked reactions from them. What a comeback though.

Emeka: Arsenal always make hard work of a normally easy three pointer. They need to start games very aggressively and focus on goalscoring to win the league.

Saints fans

Lynne: Played our socks off! Didn’t expect much out of this game when world class PSG couldn’t beat them but for a so called Championship team we gave it a good go!

H: Oh gosh. As much as I like Russell Martin and all he did for us last season I think he really needs to either change the system a lot or he will be sacked. One point from the season so far is horrific. We keep throwing it all away - well I guess that's the Southampton way now.

Bill: It was, to a degree, as expected. Arsenal are good, very good. We’re not so good but we have spirit. We gave the ball away badly, mostly in midfield, passing too slowly and nonchalantly. The defence was very good. When we attacked we rattled them no doubt. It felt the second goal killed us.

Daz: Shambles. Goodbye Russell Martin - hello Graham Potter! Change needed.

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Former Southampton striker Jo Tessem says Russell Martin's side were "set up to get a result" in Saturday's defeat at Arsenal but saw individual mistakes punished in a "brutal" way.

Saints went 1-0 up in the second half at Emirates Stadium but the Gunners equalised almost immediately and went on to win 3-1.

"It's the quality of the Premier League," Tessem told the Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast.

"Little mistakes like the first goal when Flynn Downes misses that pass and Bukayo Saka picks it up, second touch into Kai Havertz who takes two touches and it's a goal. That's how brutal it is.

"But I liked the way we set up. The first half was probably one of the better halves we have had this season because we set up to play football and get a result instead of just having a style of football. This is what is important - you have to find ways of winning.

"It is a journey. You have to first ride off the pressure Arsenal put you under and defend for your lives. Saints did and then Arsenal lost their tempo a little bit, lost their motivation a little and players got tired.

"Then we scored through Cameron Archer and had quite good control of the game, started playing the football and had spaces, while Arsenal were a little bit frustrated.

"Then Flynn Downes gave the ball away. That changed the game and then Mikel Arteta made three changes which made a massive impact."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

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

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Man City 3-2 Fulham

• Everton 0-0 Newcastle

A new episode of Goin' Home With Adam And Jo has dropped on BBC Sounds.

Hear all the post-match reaction from Emirates Stadium as Adam Blackmore and Jo Tessem dissect a promising performance in eventual defeat to Arsenal.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Harry Poole
BBC Sport journalist

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The pressure is mounting on Southampton manager Russell Martin to secure a first Premier League victory following the club’s joint-worst start to a league campaign - and poorest for 26 years.

Saints have taken just one point from their opening seven games since earning promotion back to the top-flight and they remain above only Wolves heading into the October international break.

While this always promised to be a difficult afternoon, there were undoubtedly positives for Martin and the travelling Saints support to take from the Emirates display - although, crucially, their side failed to take reward for their efforts.

The resilience shown in the second-half response when already 3-0 down at Bournemouth on Monday was once again on show as Southampton, albeit at times unconvincingly, kept Arsenal out in the first half despite enduring wave after wave of attacks.

Tyler Dibling shone as the away side grew in belief but, after Cameron Archer’s shock breakthrough ultimately only served to spark Arsenal into action, Southampton must return from the break fired-up and ready to fight when they host fellow strugglers Leicester City on Saturday, 19 October.

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Southampton manager Russell Martin to BBC Match of the Day: "I think the game panned out how we though it might. They had the ball but I loved the way we defended. We asked for more courage on the ball and I thought we showed that. We had some really brilliant moments in the second half. When we scored we'd limited them to few chances.

"But they scored too quickly after that, it's a mistake and we get caught losing the ball.

"I feel so much more positive and proud of my team than I did on Monday night, and we played against one of the best teams in the country. If we play like that in the next block of games I'd be very happy.

"Our mentality at 1-1 was much worse than when we scored. Emotions, it's nice to score a goal, it's a nice goal, but we have a problem and we concede.

"I think we're learning and growing and we're on a journey. But we're doing it under huge scrutiny and the intensity of the Premier League. I have to keep the guys on track and on path.

"There's a lot to be frustrated about, we don't have enough points on the board and a win yet, but I loved all of our resilience today. I loved all of that and if we continue to grow I'm going to be happy. "

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

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

Follow reaction and read the match report

Seven matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

• Crystal Palace v Liverpool - 12:30

• Arsenal v Southampton

• Brentford v Wolves

• Leicester v Bournemouth

• Man City v Fulham (listen live on BBC Radio 5 Live)

• West Ham v Ipswich

• Everton v Newcastle - 17:30 (listen live on BBC Radio 5 Live)

Kick-off 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week seven, he takes on Will Champion and Jonny Buckland from Coldplay, whose latest album, Moon Music, came out on Friday.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

Arsenal are so adaptable and know how to win any game, something you cannot say about Southampton at the moment.

I was a bit worried to see Saints boss Russell Martin call his players out publicly after their defeat by Bournemouth, because that never bodes well.

I have lots of admiration for Russell, who sticks to his principles about how he wants his team to play, but Arsenal are so streetwise and ruthless, this could turn into a tough afternoon for them.

The Gunners’ defence is so strong, they will keep a clean sheet - I am expecting everyone to go for a 3-0 Arsenal win here, the readers included!

Will and Jonny's prediction: 3-0

Read the rest of their predictions, and have your own say here

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Southampton boss Russell Martin says they are "frustrated" to only have one point since their return to the Premier League but insists there is still time to turn the results around.

Saints are 19th in the early table, level on points with bottom side Wolves and two behind Crystal Palace and Leicester. Before signing off for the international break, they face a daunting trip to Emirates Stadium to face last season's runners-up Arsenal on Saturday.

"We've got loads to be excited and positive about," said Martin. "I don't think anyone - fans, players, staff and owners - thought it was going to be easy.

"I still really feel we can achieve what we want to achieve. It's not done in the first month or two of the season - we need to keep growing and evolving. We're learning so much so quickly in the Premier League.

"We are only six games in. There's a lot of teams with the same points as us or with just two or three points more and that means it can all change so quickly.

"We have a big challenge on Saturday and we have to go into the international break feeling much better about ourselves than we did on Monday night [after the Bournemouth defeat].

"That's about putting in a performance we are proud of. If we do that, we have a chance - the same way we do in any football match."

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Earlier, we asked you for the four players other than Matt Le Tissier who have scored more than 40 Premier League goals for Southampton.

England international trio James Beattie, James Ward-Prowse and Danny Ings all scored more than 40 Premier League goals for Southampton, as did Latvian striker Marian Pahars.