Southampton disappointed in a second successive Premier League defeat as they fell to defeat against Nottingham Forest.
Southampton suffered another defeat in the Premier League as they lost out 1-0 to Nottingham Forest at St Mary’s.
Morgan Gibbs-White was the goal scorer for the visitors, and for the second game in a row, Russell Martin’s side were unable to respond after going a goal down.
Whilst Southampton weren’t bad defensively, especially shot-stopper Alex McCarthy, who was able to improve after a poor performance last week against Newcastle United, on the offensive side the Saints were severely lacking, as an attacking duo of Adam Armstrong and Ben Brereton Diaz certainly struggled.
There were several players who looked to have disappointed at St Mary’s, and all eyes ultimately turned towards the attackers in the side who struggled for the full 90 minutes.
However, there were three players in particular who looked off the pace after Nottingham Forest beat the Saints 1-0.
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Adam Armstrong struggled for Southampton v Nottingham Forest
The former Blackburn Rovers striker certainly was unable to make a significant impact for Martin’s side against Nottingham Forest, and although goals don’t entirely define a striker, he showed very little sign of a reliable striker at Premier League level.
It was noticeable that on the physical side he struggled against the Forest defence, and he was unable to utilise his pace against the back-line, something that he managed so successfully in the Championship in the 2023/24 season.
Will Smallbone frustrated Southampton fans in Nottingham Forest loss
Will Smallbone in the centre-of-the-park was another player who looked to have been off-the pace after the loss to Nottingham Forest after he provided very little threat.
There was far from any urgency from the midfielder to get the ball forward, playing one-dimensionally, and as a result was unable to help Southampton in sparking any attacks throughout his 83 minutes on the pitch.
He was far from convincing in a midfield with Joe Aribo and Flynn Downes, who admittedly weren’t exactly leagues above Smallbone.
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Samuel Edozie disappeared in Southampton loss to Nottingham Forest
21-year-old winger Samuel Edozie certainly didn’t help the disappointing attacking duo of Adam Armstrong and Ben Brereton Diaz.
Whilst he looks somewhat exciting and dangerous on the ball, the lack of end product for the attacker makes him go missing in the Premier League, and Martin must be proactive in looking for a replacement for the winger.
A loan move could do Edozie the world of good as he simply proved that he is not Premier League level at this moment, and a spell away from the club could be crucial in helping him towards that level.