| Watford 3-4 Southampton - Match Ratings | Southampton made it two Premier League wins on the bounce yesterday as they defeated Watford in a thrilling 4-3 win. … 05-03-2017 |
Tadić, who scored and registered two assists, is operating in his favoured central role and feels that switch is bringing out the best in his performances.
“I’m happy as I think this is the best position for me, where I can have a lot of influence and I think everyone can see that,” reflected Tadić
“We need to play for each other and to make the right decision in the final third.
“Football is a quick game, you need to play quickly with one or two touches and then you need to concentrate to make the right decision. That goal from Nathan Redmond was very nice.
“We deserved that and it’s nice to win this game but we need to clear our moments to be better all game so we don’t have ups and downs.
“At 2-2 when they score, we were a little bit nervous and they had some counter-attacks. If they make it 3-2 it is difficult to come back.”
| Southampton interested in Willems | Southampton have been linked with PSV left-back Jetro Willems. According to an exclusive report from Italian news … 05-03-2017 |
| Barcelona interested in Oriol Romeu | Barcelona are reportedly keen to bring Oriol Romeu back to the Nou Camp this summer. According to the Spanish news … 05-03-2017 |
The Premier League 2 tie comes at a key moment for Saints, as the table tightens ahead of the final few games of the season.
“Chelsea will be a good team,” started Hesketh.
“They are renowned for their young players and will be technically good, but I think it is something we can stand up to.
“Everyone gets up for it a little bit more, rightly or wrongly, when games are at the stadium. Playing there definitely gives you an extra buzz.”
Hesketh has been side lined with injury since late September, however he returned from his 128-day absence in the 2-0 defeat away to Everton.
Having played just over an hour at Goodison Park and recently in the defeat away to Newcastle, the 20-year-old is now keen to get a full match under his belt.
“Personally the aim is to get 90 minutes,” continued Hesketh.
“But obviously we will have to see how I am going and see how the team is doing – there are always a lot of factors in these sorts of decisions.
“It’s good to head into a game with an aim like that, but it has to be flexible - it can’t just be set.”
Nathan Redmond found his shooting boots as Southampton put their EFL Cup final heartache behind them with a thrilling 4-3 win at Watford on Saturday.
Redmond, converted from winger to striker by manager Claude Puel in the summer, netted twice as Saints recovered from conceding to Troy Deeney after only four minutes to claim all three points.
Dusan Tadic was also on target, while Italy ace Manolo Gabbiadini continued his goal-laden start to his Premier League career by scoring for the sixth time in four matches.
Southampton showed tremendous character to put their Wembley torment behind them and claim a rare away victory. The link-up play between Redmond, Tadic and Gabbiadini was sensational at times, which bodes well for the rest of the season. Gabbiadini is now the first player in club history to find the net in each of his first four games with the team.
Conceding three goals will do little to bolster goalkeeper Fraser Forster’s fragile confidence. Southampton do not play again for a fortnight due to their game at home to Manchester United being postponed, meaning they will not get the chance build momentum with the win.
8 – Puel deserves a huge amount of credit for the way he picked his players up to ensure they did not suffer any Wembley hangover. The boss finally seems to have found a settled lineup, naming the same XI for the third game in a row, which is paying dividends.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Fraser Forster, 5 – Could not do much about any of the goals, but was not commanding enough in his own penalty area, which put doubts in his defenders’ minds.
DF Cedric Soares, 6 – Was more comfortable going forward than at the back. Puel will demand more defensive discipline.
DF Maya Yoshida, 7 – Enjoyed a good battle with Watford striker Deeney. Has grown in stature in recent weeks.
DF Jack Stephens, 6 – Is part of a defence that has conceded six goals in two games. His place is likely to come under threat once new signing Martin Caceres is fully fit.
DF Ryan Bertrand, 6 – Is always a good outlet down the left. Could have done more to stop Watford from getting crosses into the box.
MF Oriol Romeu, 7 – Is having a fantastic season. Saints will be hoping rumours of a move to Barcelona are no more than speculation.
MF James Ward-Prowse, 6 – Is one of the first names on the team sheet for the first time in his Saints career. Put in another solid showing.
MF Dusan Tadic, 8 – Showed great awareness for his goal and did not give the Watford defence a moment’s respite. Was back to his best.
MF Nathan Redmond, 8 – Must have caught the eye of watching England coach Gareth Southgate and not just because of his haircut. Took his goals like a seasoned striker.
FW Manolo Gabbiadini, 7 – Was subdued for much of the game, but still managed to extend his scoring streak. Southampton have unearthed a little gem.
FW Sofiane Boufal, N/R – Had a lively cameo for the last 12 minutes.
FW Jordy Clasie, N/R – Had no time to get involved in proceedings.
FW Shane Long, N/R – May struggle to get his place back if Saints’ new-look front four continues to excel.
Alex Crook is ESPN FC’s Southampton blogger. Follow him on Twitter @alex_crook
STARSPORT have taken the time to predict every single match for the rest of the season - and this is how it would pan out.
It has been a vintage Premier League season so far, with loads of entertaining games between the top clubs and a good amount of upsets too.
So will Manchester United ever escape sixth place? Can Big Sam maintain his unrelegatable status at Crystal Palace? Who will be in the top four by the end of the season?
CLICK THROUGH THE GALLERY ABOVE TO SEE WHAT WE RECKON THE TABLE WILL LOOK LIKE COME MAY.
PREMIER LEAGUE squads are bigger than ever these days, meaning plenty of players get forgotten in the stands.
From loanees who aren’t getting a game to youngsters who were given a chance and faded away, plus those unlucky with injury, there are a lot of professionals still picking up wages but getting very little action on the pitch.
Almost every Premier League club features in our gallery of 27 forgotten players.
Ibrahimovic has been afforded the respect he has deserved since arriving in English football at the start of the season. But the time has come for him to give some back. His decision to elbow Tyrone Mings in the head during Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth showed us all the dark side of this maverick’s nature. Ibrahimovic said afterwards that Ming had jumped into his elbow. Behave. The swaggering Swede is an engaging character. When he talks people listen, because he’s not like normal footballers when it comes to word and deed. But mocking his own act of recklessness is unacceptable and he should be hit with an FA charge for these comments alone after such a shameless attempt to belittle the incident.
“Ibrahimovic said afterwards that Ming had jumped into his elbow. Behave” Ibrahimovic has actually done the FA a huge favour, believe it or not. The Swede acted more like a turnip at Old Trafford, but has given the FA the ideal opportunity to regain some much-needed respect. The facts are these. Ibrahimovic elbowed Mings in the head. His actions came seconds after Mings had stamped on his head. It appeared to be a clear act of retribution. The match officials didn’t see it, so Ibrahimovic escaped punishment at the time. This is where the FA come in and he will be charged with violent conduct. Back in November Rochdale’s Calvin Andrew was hit with a 12-match ban for elbowing Oldham’s Peter Clarke in the face. He was charged with violent conduct after video evidence was studied and FA officials deemed the act so brutal it warranted a suspension of a dozen games, instead of the standard three that is normally dished out. Andrew and Ibrahimovic might as well live on different planets, but they now appear to have more in common than we thought.
The two are bound together by an act of violence that has to be outlawed from the game - and the only way to do this is to take offenders out of football for a significant length of time. Ibrahimovic has been a wonderful addition to English football this season and is a pleasure to watch. But when he commits an act as indefensible as this his reputation and standing in the game count for nothing - zero. zilch or ‘noll’ as they say in Sweden. The FA have to come down hard on Ibrahimovic - not to mention Mings - and make an example of him like they did of Andrew. It will show us they have the balls to stand up to even the biggest superstars. BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER has become little more than a glorified mascot at Manchester United.
After United won the EFL Cup, the German outcast and United cheerleader decided to give himself something to do and took photos of his team-mates clutching the trophy. He’s become a spare part at United, hanging around like a bad smell picking up his massive wages. It’s a ridiculous situation that isn’t benefiting either party, so here’s an idea. Why don’t United bosses ask him to do some coaching? Schweinsteiger has won the World Cup and Champions League. In his pomp he was one of the best and most intelligent midfielders on the planet. He knows the game inside out and could still be an asset to future generations at United, if not Jose Mourinho’s first team.
DAVID HAYE acted like an egotistical prat ahead of his remarkable scrap with Tony Bellew on Saturday night. In a shameless and crude attempt to boost the pay-per-view ratings, Haye overstepped the boundaries of decency by getting way too personal in the abuse stakes. But some of the respect he lost outside the ring returned following his incredible show inside it. Full credit to him. The fight should have been stopped once it became clear he was fighting on one leg and had become a sitting duck. But his heart and pride kept him going despite being on a hiding to nothing. Bellew took the hollow victory to secure himself at least one more pay day, but the moral victory went to Haye.
GARETH SOUTHGATE should pick Nathan Redmond in his next England squad. Redmond has been sensational for Southampton this season and deserves his chance to make the step up from the Under-21 squad, for which he has made a staggering 33 appearances. Southgate was at Wembley to watch Redmond impress in his side’s EFL Cup final defeat to Manchester United. He scored two more for Southampton on Saturday in their 4-3 win over Watford. Roy Hodgson might have got a lot wrong when he was Three Lions boss, but he wasn’t afraid to stick his neck out and pick raw talents like Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Jamie Vardy and Raheem Sterling. Southgate should do the same with the 22-year-old when he names his squad a week on Thursday to face Germany and Lithuania.
CHELSEA are unsurprisingly hot favourites for Monday night’s clash with West Ham. Antonio Conte’s men are just 8/13 for the win with the draw at 3/1 and the Hammers a chunky 5/1. However games between the two sides have recently been a lot closer than many would realise with just one of the last seven meetings being won by more than a one goal margin and Chelsea only winning three of them. Three of the last four meetings have finished 2-1 and it’s 17/1 the hosts repeat their League Cup win of the same score at the London Stadium in October. Chelsea are 77/10 for their own 2-1 win, 13/5 to win by one goal and 7/1 for a more comfortable 2-0. Pedro has been a man transformed under Conte, scoring in his last three matches and seven in his last nine, and is 7/4 to score in this one and 11/2 for the first goal. * New customers bet £10 and receive a £30 free bet to use on any sports market. Visit 188bet.co.uk for full details.
After Harry Kane and Dele Alli performed their trademark handshake we take a look back at some of the most memorable celebrations in Premier League history.
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