Xherdan Shaqiri's left peg is having an off day. The ball falls nicely for him 25 yards out but he can only zip his drive five yards wide of the upright. Poor.

What a chance. What a chance. Marko Arnautovic does brilliantly to bulldoze his way down the left, get his head and pick out Xherdan Shaqiri, running onto the ball in a central position 12 yards, but the Swiss blazes wastefully over. Wake-up call for Southampton.

Back under way at St Mary's. Can Southampton get back into this?

Image source, PA

...Stoke would move up two places to 10th in the Premier League table, and Southampton would drop one spot to 8th. Long way to go though...

So, one goal separates the sides at half-time, and here it is - in diagram form. It was a patient, passing move from Stoke, but the real killer was Eric Pieters' cross from the left - a brilliant whipped delivery that took the Southampton centre-backs out of play.

Image source, BBC Sport

In fact, Pieters has been the star player of the half - he's found the mark with every one of his 15 passes, including six in the Southampton half.

Ref Lee Mason blows for the interval. Stoke were the better side for the first half an hour, but Southampton bossed the final 15 minutes. Good game, plenty of quality on show from both sides.

Image source, Getty Images

Postpublished at 43 mins

43 mins

Southampton 0-1 Stoke

Oof, that's a nasty one. Cedric goes up for the ball with Bojan, and comes down with blood pouring from his head. On closer inspection, there was a stray arm - Bojan perhaps a lucky boy there.

Southampton try a nice routine from a corner, but Cedric fluffs the final line when he fires the ball miles over the top from 20 yards.

Southampton are coming into it here. Stoke over-commit from a corner, and Southampton clear and launch a swift breakout. Dusan Tadic carries the ball all the way from the halfway line to the penalty area - he has Shane Long in support, but chooses to go it alone and fires over.

Goodness me that was dicey! Jack Butland has won plenty of admirers this season but he almost makes an almighty howler here, dropping a floaty free kick right on the toes of Victor Wanyama. The Southampton man can't adjust in time and prods wide.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton try a different tack. Virgil van Dijk swings a big long ball forward from the back, Shane Long gets up high and wins the flick-on, but Graziano Pelle can't quite latch on. A moment later, Steven Davis sees a shot blocked inside the area.

Southampton's Jordy Clasie tries a spectacular effort when a corner is headed out to him on the edge of the area, but he sends his volley rolling lamely wide.

Lovely, intricate interplay between Marko Arnautovic and Bojan in the left-hand corner completely befuddles Southampton's defenders and allows the Austrian to drive to the bye-line unopposed. He has all the time in the world to pick out a team-mate, but his cut-back is errant and Southampton clear. Stoke very much on top though.

Marko Arnautovic is sporting his signature top-knot today, a look that wouldn't be out of place in the coffee-shops of east London. He wins a corner, but Bojan's delivery is headed away.

Image source, Rex Features

Jose Fonte gets his head to Steven Davis's curling free kick, but he can't get over the top of it and the ball loops over.

A bit of a scramble in the Stoke area as a good ball in from the left finds Graziano Pelle in the six-yard box, but he can't quite make a clean connection. Erik Pieters eventually hacks clear.

And that's another lovely counter from Stoke! Lovely interplay between Bojan and Xherdan Shaqiri down the right releases the Swiss into the penalty area, and Maarten Stekelenburg has to be get down smartly to stop his shot. Real warning signs for Southampton here.

That, by the way, was Bojan's third league goal of the season, making him their equal top scorer in the top flight. Stoke still looking dangerous on the counter - Marko Arnautovic is picked out by Jonathan Walters' through ball and Cedric has to be alert to block his shot.

Southampton immediately stream forward in search of an equaliser, but Cedric's shot from the edge of the box comfortably clears the bar.

Garth Crooks
Former Spurs striker on Final Score

"A brilliant finish by Bojan! He made a fantastic run beyond the defender and just shifted the ball around him. The movement was fantastic and he gently caressed the ball home."