Armando Broja strike sinks Leeds and gives Southampton first win - Guardian 16/10/21
Ben Fisher at St Mary's Stadium
Ralph Hasenhüttl had warned supporters not to expect a
“five-star dinner” and while he was dressed for the occasion – stalking the
touchline in a waistcoat and a crosshatch tie – a first three points of the
season provided sufficient for Southampton fans to feast on. At the final
whistle, Hasenhüttl leaned forward and clenched both fists but the biggest
cheer was reserved for when, a couple of minutes after full-time, the public
address announcer confirmed rivals Portsmouth had been hammered 4-1 at
Rotherham. This was one of those rare perfect afternoons for Southampton to cherish.
Without key players themselves, they overwhelmed a depleted
Leeds side to record a much-needed victory courtesy of the Chelsea loanee
Armando Broja’s first Premier League goal. He applied the finishing touch to a
flying counterattack and a Leeds side that failed to register a shot on target
only came close to hurting Southampton when the hosts pressed self-destruct.
Their best opening was squandered 20 minutes from time by Daniel James, the
winger poking wide after stealing the ball off Mohammed Salisu, who allowed a
harmless high ball to bounce.
How Leeds missed the verve of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha,
both of whom were perched behind the away dugout covering their eyes from the
low sun rather than on the pitch. Phillips was absent with the calf injury that
forced him to pull out of the England squad and Raphinha, who scored his first
goals for Brazil in Manaus in the early hours of Friday morning, was deemed too
fatigued to feature after a 15-hour flight later that day.
But Southampton had to cope without their suspended captain,
James Ward-Prowse, and Marcelo Bielsa was reluctant to make excuses despite not
being able to call on Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling or Junior Firpo owing to
injury. Leeds supporters have been treated to some mouthwatering displays under
Bielsa in recent years but this was a painfully poor performance. “I don’t link
the quality of our game to the absences of our players,” Bielsa said.
Leeds offered little going forward – Tyler Roberts’s wayward
shot on the verge of half-time was as good as it got until Jack Harrison
stepped inside Oriol Romeu and saw an effort deflected over five minutes after
the break – and were erratic defensively, exposed when Southampton cantered
upfield on the break three minutes later. James was crowded out in the hosts’
18-yard box and, within a few seconds, Nathan Redmond was steaming forward and
Leeds faced with a troublesome two v two scenario. Diego Llorente pointed at
Broja in vain as the striker lashed the ball into the roof of the net after
Redmond, reinvigorated in attack, nudged the ball into his path. “I’m always
very critical with him,” Hasenhüttl said of Redmond. “I know how good he can
be.”
Leeds had to work overtime to stay in the game and their
captain, Liam Cooper, made a superb sliding tackle to deny Romeu a free shot at
goal after Broja flicked the ball into his path. Mohamed Elyounoussi twice went
close and Illan Meslier had to repel a Broja shot after Pascal Struijk made a
meal of a routine clearance. The chances were piling up for Southampton.
“The defeat was justified in the first half, even if they
scored in the second,” Bielsa said.