Southampton got their promotion push back on track on Friday night, with a 2-0 win away at West Brom.
The Saints went into the game looking to bounce back from a 3-1 defeat to Bristol City in midweek.
That had ended their run of 25-games without defeat, and seen them drop to 3rd in the race for automatic promotion.
However, goals from Ryan Fraser and David Brooks in either half secured a big win for Southampton at The Hawthorns, against an in form West Brom side on a high after their recent takeover news.
As a result, this was a particularly impressive win for the Saints, and we’ve taken a look at three things we learned about them from that match, right here.
Stuart Armstrong can’t be dropped
Having dropped to the bench for the defeat to Bristol City on Tuesday, Stuart Armstrong was restored to the starting XI by Russell Martin for this clash at The Hawthorns.
It was a move that paid dividends for the Saints, with the midfielder leading by example throughout the game. On the ball he was hugely influential, not least with an excellent assist to tee up Fraser for the all-important opening goal. Off it, he also lead by example with his tracking back and chasing of the game that helped restrict West Brom’s attacks.
This was an all-round performance that stood out on the night, and proved how important it is for Southampton use him from the start when he is indeed fit and available.
Strength on the Southampton bench shown again
The Saints’ last win, 5-3 against Huddersfield Town, was notable due to the fact that all of their goals were influenced by substitutes in one way or another.
While that was not quite the case here, there was a similar story for the second goal. That was a strike that Brooks came off the bench to fire home, being set up by another substitute in the form of Sam Edozie.
If those from the bench can continue to make this impact, then it will be a major trump card that Southampton can play in matches where a win may still be in the balance. That could prove crucial in the promotion race, and the fact Martin is making these correct changes at the right time deserves a fair amount of praise too.
Gavin Bazunu steps up
It was not the busiest night for the Southampton goalkeeper, but he still pllayed his part in this win.
Shortly after the Saints had doubled their advantage, Bazunu produced a stunning save at full stretch to turn over a header from Okay Yokuslu. Had he not kept it out, then the momentum West Brom may have gained from that goal in front of a packed home crowd, could have turned the course of the fixture.
As a result, if Southampton do manage to get over the line in the race for automatic promotion this season, that save from Bazunu could be looked back on as one of the turning points of the campaign.