Southampton were undone in a 3-1 defeat against Brentford.
The Saints were handed a third Premier League defeat on the bounce in the 2024/25 campaign as they were seen off by Brentford on the road.
Southampton looked to never get going as Russell Martin’s side were second best in many areas of the pitch.
The silver lining of the defeat saw Southampton get their first league goal of the season, which saw Yuki Sugawara bag his first in red & white after what was a solid and assured performance at right-back, something that cannot be said for the large majority of the squad.
Saints youngster Tyler Dibling also came on and impressed in the final moments for Martin’s side and could be in contention for a start in the next Premier League fixture, especially after what was a fairly poor showing from Southampton’s midfield.
Brentford goal scorers Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa were easily able to get their side in front, away and clear and the poor performance from the Saints can be blamed on large quantities on the side, however three players in particular struggled.
Will Smallbone struggled for Southampton
Southampton midfielder Will Smallbone was noted as a player who must improve following an unsatisfactory performance against Nottingham Forest, however he did not show any sense of an improved performance against Brentford.
The 24-year-old once again looked out of his depth in the centre-of-the-park and was continuously exploited by Brentford.
Smallbone has seemingly struggled to adapt to the Premier League following the Saints’ promotion to the top tier, and he will need to substantially improve in the coming weeks.
Joe Aribo frustrated vs Brentford
Joe Aribo certainly didn’t help fellow midfielder Smallbone in the centre-of-the-park, and he cut a frustrated figure walking around as very little appeared to go right for him.
He continuously frustrated fans by excessively playing the ball sideways or backwards, creating insufficient attacks and as a result leaving Southampton’s frontline to be very isolated.
The Nigerian’s spot in the side could not be safe following Dibling’s solid substitute performance, as he actually showed willingness to know the ball forward, unlike Aribo.
Adam Armstrong disappeared vs Brentford
The blame for Adam Armstrong’s passive performance could be laid at the feet of both Smallbone and Aribo after the pair simply did not give the English attacker any opportunity to make a difference.
However, once again the former Blackburn Rovers attacker struggled on the physical side for Southampton, and like the previous two players mentioned, there are very much doubts over his ability to play and compete in the Premier League, and with very few options to replace Armstrong, he must look to improve massively in Southampton’s next clash.