Southampton - West Brom: Oriol Romeu and Moussa Djenepo solved West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone with a pair of gorgeous goals in Southampton’s 2-0 win on Sunday at St. Mary’s.
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Saints have now won two after losing their first pair of matches this Premier League season and sit 10th with six points.
Slaven Bilic’s baggies have now allowed 13 goals through four matches and sit 0W-1D-3L in the Premier League after Southampton - West Brom.
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Three things we learned from Southampton - West Brom:
1. The Mailian Saint-Maximin: We kid, of course, but a good percentage of touches involved in Moussa Djenepo’s 20-touch day were used in crafting a goal similar to the wondergoal registered by Newcastle’s Allan Saint-Maximin on Saturday.
This one came on the left side of the pitch, the Malian cutting hard to unleash a low shot past a diving Sam Johnstone.
2. Romeu as the most interesting man in the world: “Hi I’m Oriol Romeu. I rarely score goals but when I do, I make sure they are Goal of the Week material.”
Southampton’s hard man arrived just inside the box with supreme technique for a vicious volley with the outside of his boot.
3. It takes beauties to beat Johnstone: It’s clear that if West Brom is going to make a run out of the bottom three it will need to rely on its new Ben Foster. Johnstone, like Dean Henderson before him at Sheffield United, has gone from “loans only” at Manchester United to boosting a club to the top flight and bidding to keep it there. His task looks far more arduous than Henderson’s 2019-20 season.
SAVE! Another great stop from West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. Danny Ings' header looked destined for the bottom corner after a lovely James Ward-Prowse free kick, but Johnstone tips it wide. Southampton knocking on the door. #SaintsFC 0-0 #WBA #SOUWBA
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) October 4, 2020
Man of the Match
Romeu -- Take away the wonderstrike and the Spaniard still had three interceptions, five tackles, a blocked shot, and a clearance.
Southampton - West Brom recap
Southampton had 3/4 possession over the first quarter hour, and Johnstone made two fine saves in the 16th and Ings and Che Adams tested the West Brom keeper.
Call Djenepo the Malian Saint Maximin, because Saints’ opening goal scorer twisted and turned in a manner similar to Newcastle’s French wizard before hitting a low shot past Johnstone for 1-0 just before halftime.
Alex McCarthy made a terrific reaction save in the 51st minute, using a splayed leg to stop a deflected rip from tying the game.