It took until the latter stages of Saints' second Premier League game of the season, but Ralph Hasenhuttl's side finally exhibited real signs of life, coming from two goals down to salvage a point against Leeds.
Many will have jotted this game down as a must-win before the season but from the hole Saints found themselves in with 20 minutes to go, it's not the worst result.
READ MORE: Che Adams displays importance to Saints once again
From an individual level there was a mixed bag of performances with some stand-out contributors helping get Saints back into the game.
So without any more preamble, here are the Saints extended player ratings from Saturday's 2-2 draw with Leeds...
The rules:
Each week we will rewatch the recent game as many times as necessary in order to review every player’s performance.
- Each player will receive a grade on a sliding scale of A+ to F
- It’s important to note that we do not know the specific tactical instructions given to each player so we will attempt to grade with what we can see
- Only players who play more than 15 minutes in each game will receive a grade so late substitutes will almost always get a N/A
- The results each week will be tracked with the overall top performer awarded Player of the Season in May
Let’s get into it…
Substitutes
Now, normally we end with the substitutes section but this was a game of two parts and the second part - the crucial part that earned Saints a point - was made possible by the impact of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s arrivals off the bench. They deserve huge credit, so it's only fair we start with the game-changers.
Moments after Rodrigo gave Leeds their 2-0 lead, Hasenhuttl went to his bench for attacking reinforcements, throwing on Adam Arsmtrong and Joe Aribo. Admittedly, they were up and ready to go before the goal but the increased deficit just further enhanced their need.
Adam Armstrong: B+
Initially replacing Stuart Armstrong to play up front alongside Che Adams, Adam Armstrong soon shifted out to left wing when Sekou Mara entered the fray. It was out on the left touchline where Armstrong did his damage, putting in a hugely encouraging performance that helped push Saints’ revival.
Last week we talked about how much better Armstrong is when he has space to attack ahead of him and on the left flank that was made available to him rather than have to operate with his back to goal as often happens when he is utilised as a pure striker.
Armstrong’s heat map below shows just how wide he was and the most highlighted position is the exact place where he made his biggest impact, helping to conjure the goal that started Saints’ comeback.
Receiving the ball with three Leeds players surrounding him, Armstrong drops his shoulder and turns away from one. This opens up just enough of a path for him to feed the ball to Adams who instantly returns the favour.
Now, running into space, Armstrong can do his damage. He carries the ball down the line before releasing it across goal. It may have been aimed at Sekou Mara in the middle but it ends up at the feet of Aribo who finishes to give Saints a lifeline.
At his best, Armstrong is an extremely positive player who wants to drive into space and make things happen. Left wing likely won’t be a frequent position of his but there is reason to believe he can thrive out wide with ample space and less physical defenders to come up against.
In his 30 minutes of football at St Mary’s on Saturday, Armstrong touched the ball just 15 times (second-least after Mara) but did a lot with those limited touches. On top of the assists, he also recorded nine out of ten successful passes. Armstrong still needs to show he can score in this team, but it was certainly a cameo to build on.
Joe Aribo: A-
Joining Armstrong on the pitch following Rodrigo’s point-blank header, Aribo was central to Saints getting something from the game. His goal obviously will take the plaudits and it was a perfect example of why Aribo was brought into this team.
Hugely capable with the ball at his feet, perhaps Aribo’s greatest strength is his late runs into the box coupled with proficient finishing ability. All that was on display at St Mary’s on Saturday.
As soon as Armstrong turns away from his marker and finds Adams, Aribo is making his run, darting into the free space on the edge of the box.
He may have got a bit of luck with the nutmeg of Ilan Meslier and finish into the bottom corner but Aribo is a hugely talented technician so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Either way, it doesn’t really matter - he put the ball in the net at a crucial moment to spark his side into life.
Playing in a free role on the right side, Aribo was given full licence to roam along the right side of the pitch and get into the box as frequently as possible. In just over 30 minutes, he managed four touches in Leeds’ box - second most amongst all Saints players - and three shots - most amongst his team.
It was no major shock to see Aribo change the game, he is a game-changer. Some will question why he didn’t start the match and that is certainly fair. However, it also must be noted that the first half was a hugely intense physical battle without much forward momentum from either side.
By the time Aribo came on, that battle (in extreme heat of course) had taken its toll and gaps had started to open up in both side’s defences. This was perfect for Aribo who does his best work in space - either running with the ball or ghosting into empty grass as he did for his goal.
Aribo will be in my chosen XI for Leicester but he’s also a great option to have off the bench once legs start to tire. He’s just a great option to have in general and he’s probing that already.
Sekou Mara: A
Welcome to the Premier League Sekou Mara. Or rather should that be 'Welcome to Sekou Mara, Premier League'? A relatively unknown quantity on these shores after signing from Bordeaux and playing an underwhelming 45 minutes against Villarreal in pre-season, Mara announced himself to the St Mary’s crowd in spectacular fashion on Saturday.
Replacing Jan Bednarek with just under 20 minutes left to play, Saints shifted to a 4-2-2-2 with Mara and Adams up front flanked by Armstrong and Aribo. It certainly worked. Just two minutes after coming on, Saints scored with Mara playing a crucial role in occupying the Leeds defence in the box and clearing out the space for Aribo to run into.
Of course, his much more direct involvement came in Saints’ second goal. We’ve all seen it by now - likely many times if you’re like me - but it still bears reminding.
The first element of this goal is the position Mara picks up as the long ball drops to Adams. The 20-year-old finds a pocket of space with defenders around him but with room to get the ball and manoeuvre should it fall to him.
It does, which leads us to the next part. In a flash, Mara turns away from the Leeds defender with a delightful piece of skill.
That brings us to the final part, the true cherry on top of this lovely move. After getting free, Mara locks eyes with Kyle Walker-Peters, looks away and plays the perfect ball into the full-back’s path who does the rest.
These moments of brilliance will obviously stick out in the mind but it was Mara’s all-round game that impressed most. Tracking back into his own defensive half to win the ball back, rising high to challenge for headers, Mara relished the physical fight with Leeds and for a youngster just arriving in the Premier League, that is a hugely promising sign.
It will be hard to temper expectations after such an impressive Saints debut but it is still important to remember that Mara is a 20-year-old with limited experience at this level. His big moments will come but they will likely be interspersed with difficult ones as he grows and learns.
Jack Stephens: N/A
The Starters
Gavin Bazunu: B
It’s been an interesting start to Southampton life for their new goalkeeper. Bazunu has conceded a whopping six goals in two games, yet it’s hard to fault him for any of them. That was certainly true at Spurs and once again the case as Leeds raced into a two-goal lead.
The harshest of critics could point out that he was beaten at his near post by Rodrigo’s first but the nature of the Spaniard’s run and finish made it nearly impossible to cover. For the second, Bazunu was given little chance with yet more slack marking from set pieces.
Despite the two goals conceded, there was enough in Bazunu’s performance to be positive about. He did very well to get low and push aside a first half shot from Dan James before saving a rasping drive from Rodrigo in stoppage time. The latter in particular is a save Bazunu should be making in his sleep but he still actually had to do it in a pivotal moment.
In terms of his distribution, Bazunu wasn’t as heavily involved as he has been at times in his fledgling Saints career but he still completed 12 out of 12 short passes and five out of nine long passes. He will continue to be Saints starting goalkeeper - deservedly so.
Kyle Walker-Peters: A+
I fear we may start to run out of superlatives to describe Walker-Peters. Consistently excellent even when his side is struggling, the former Spurs full-back put in another outstanding performance on Saturday.
Taking away his goal (a silly statement in itself), Walker-Peters was phenomenal, dominating the right side to help shore up his team at the back and provide a crucial outlet going forward. Just take a look at his touch map below - it’s almost exhausting just to see - as Walker-Peters was simply everywhere on the right flank.
Walker-Peters led his Saints teammates in shots with six and ranked second in terms of shots with two. He’s quickly starting to challenge James Ward-Prowse for the position as Saints’ most crucial player due to his ability to affect the game at both ends of the pitch.
If we’re being picky, you could ask questions about his positioning for Leeds’ second goal. As the ball is recycled wide, both Walker-Peters and Romeo Lavia hang back seemingly expecting the other to press the ball.
That moment of hesitation is enough and by the time Lavia does push out wide, the damage is done with Harrison whipping in a perfect ball for Rodrigo to tuck home.
Now back to the goal. We can’t move on without at least touching on it. The run from Walker-Peters is perfectly timed and the finish - something you’d expect from a seasoned striker as Meslier narrows the angle.
It’s hard to expect Walker-Peters to continue improving but it would also seem silly to doubt him.
Mohammed Salisu: C
This was largely a performance to build on for Salisu as he attempts to traverse an extremely rocky few months. On the bright side, he led his team in a number of important statistical categories including: tackles (4 - level with Ward-Prowse), interceptions (4 - level with Lavia) and progressive passing yards (351) while sitting second in successful dribbles with three.
On the negative side, he must bear some responsibility for Leeds’ first goal. Initially as the ball goes wide, Salisu can be seen marking Rodrigo.
But as the striker makes his run, Salisu doesn’t follow, seemingly passing him off to Jan Bednarek but without much warning or accountability from either centre-back.
It ends with Rodrigo free at the near post to score.
Salisu did look more composed and comfortable once Saints switched to a back four so perhaps we could see the return of his old self should Hasenhuttl change systems for Leicester this weekend. A mixed outing but some promising signs nonetheless.
Jan Bednarek: C-
The Polish centre-back has become something of a scapegoat for his side’s defensive failings and to an extent that criticism is deserved after a spate of subpar performances. Bednarek wasn’t awful against Leeds but as with Salisu he must take responsibility for his slow reaction to Rodrigo’s run for their first goal.
It’s also not a great indictment of Bednarek that Saints looked better defensively after he went off. Part of that is just due to the nature of the game and how it changed with Saints in the ascendancy but it still appears that if a centre-back is sacrificed in a switch to a back four, Bednarek may be the one left on the sidelines.
Armel Bella-Kotchap: C+
After surprisingly being left out for last weekend’s defeat to Spurs, Bella-Kotchap was handed his full debut against Leeds. Some might see this rating as harsh after an encouraging start to life for the central defender.
Bella-Kotchap wasn’t at fault for either Leeds goal and largely excelled, aggressively stepping out of defence on numerous occasions to win the ball and standing tall to the physical challenge in the first half.
One particularly impressive moment came after BLANK minutes when he won the ball back, strode up the pitch and flashed a fierce effort wide. I didn’t know he had that in his locker but it was great to see.
The only real downside to Bella-Kotchap’s performance was the occasional loss of concentration or vulnerable positioning. One example of that could be seen in stoppage time.
As Leeds play a long ball forward, Bella-Kotchap steps up but doesn’t get close enough to challenge the attacker.
In doing so, he leaves space in behind which Rodrigo duly runs into, receives the ball and fires straight at Bazunu.
This may be slightly harsh - particularly as Salisu is way too far from his partner - but these are the small mistakes you really can’t afford to make in the Premier League. Still, certainly a lot to build on.
Moussa Djenepo: B
It might be time to start taking the Moussa Djenepo renaissance seriously. In pre-season we talked about how it likely wouldn’t last, yet here we are two games into the Premier League campaign and he continues to impress.
Much of what we addressed at the time was central to his performance against Leeds. Djenepo plays with a fearlessness and enthusiasm that is just infectious. He has taken to his left-wing-back role superbly, putting in another impressive shift on Saturday.
Mousse Djenepo put in some SERIOUS work yesterday. #SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/WxdyCdCtX1
— Benjy Nurick (@BenjyNurick) August 14, 2022
Going forward, Djenepo is an incredibly tough player to mark due to his incessant desire to try things while he was significantly better defensively against Leeds than he was at Spurs - even playing the final 30 minutes at left-back.
The Malian completed the most dribbles of any Saints player with five and created the second-most chances with two. It will be interesting to see if Djenepo keeps his place should Hasenhuttl switch to a back four but he’s certainly a deserving starter for now. Long may it continue.
Romeo Lavia: B+
Following on from his hugely impressive debut performance at Spurs, Lavia again showcased his prodigious talent in his home debut.
Operating in a different role against Leeds, Lavia played in a midfield two alongside Ward-Prowse rather than in a three with Oriol Romeu as well. This led to a slightly different type of performance from the 18-year-old. Far defensively-focused, Lavia made four interceptions (joint-most amongst Saints players) and just 25 passes, completing 22 of them. Meanwhile at Spurs he attempted 52 passes.
Lavia’s quite incredible passing range was once again on display as he completed seven of eight long passes - most of any Saints player. He also applied 17 pressures vs Leeds - also the most of any Saints player.
However, it was the occasion when he failed to press that sees his score drop slightly. We touched on it above in the Walker-Peters section but as Leeds played the ball wide in the build-up to their first goal, Lavia is slow to react.
By the time he does, it’s too late and Harrison’s cross arrives at Rodrigo’s feet undeterred.
It could be a tactical mistake or a lack of concentration but either way it is a mistake, hardly a surprise for an 18-year-old making just their second Premier League appearance. It’s certainly not anything to worry about.
James Ward-Prowse: B
Last week we discussed how Ward-Prowse’s role at Spurs had changed from the more defensively-minded job he had last season, given the freedom to roam in the attacking half with protection provided by Lavia and to an extent Romeu.
Against Leeds, he was back to his previous role in the midfield two, helping shield the back four and start attacks.
Below are the midfielders touch maps vs Spurs (left) and Leeds (right). As is evident, far more of his touches against Leeds came in his own defensive half while he didn’t record a touch in Saints’ attacking box after racking up six last weekend.
This isn’t a negative assessment of Ward-Prowse. Personally, I think his ability to get shots off quickly from in and around the box can be a real weapon going forward but he’s also shown himself to be a very capable deeper midfielder, doing so once again on Saturday.
Ward-Prowse won the most headers of any Saints player with four and had the joint-most tackles alongside Salisu with four. Despite the deeper role he still created four chances - most on his team.
It was another solid and reliable performance from Mr. Consistent and it included the absurd piece of magic below.
Moi Elyounoussi: C
Given his first start of the season in a front three alongside Stuart Armstrong and Che Adams, Elyounoussi buzzed about without really impacting the game much. He was quite active, but too much of his game came in non-threatening areas.
That said, he chased and harassed the Leeds defence and midfield, sometimes on his own, no doubt helping tire them out for the eventual second half collapse from their opponents. He did manage two shots though which was good to see even if they led to very little.
Stuart Armstrong: C
Virtually a carbon-copy of Elyounoussi’s performance but on the right side, Armstrong was typically hard-working. The Scotsman refused to back down from a fierce physical battle with the Leeds defence but couldn’t really get anything going on the creative front.
Again, as with Elyounoussi, his work-rate and chasin no doubt impacted the eventual late comeback despite not actually being on the pitch for it.
Che Adams: B
We won’t go too in depth on Adams but if you want a full analysis of his performance and role in Hasenhuttl’s side, you can find it here.
Adams didn’t have much joy going forward in the first half but battled bravely before playing a crucial role in his side’s comeback, helping set up the first. But again, all that and more can be found here.
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