Southampton players made history this weekend as their 3-1 win over Swansea City saw them go an incredible 20 league games unbeaten for the first time in their English Football League history.
Russell Martin‘s side were completely dominant in the first half of the record-breaking game against Swansea and took a 3-1 lead into the break, the Swans’ goal coming from a slack moment defensively and Gavin Bazunu misjudging a cross.
Stuart Armstrong was at his scintillating best and was heavily involved in all three Southampton goals, providing the assist for the second and third and seeing his saved shot tapped home from close range by Che Adams for the first.
Adams looks back to his best and was happy to see the ball drop to his feet a couple of yards from goal, scoring the type of poacher’s goal he hasn’t scored enough in the past. With uncertainty shrouding his future, Adams has really found form with five goals in his last six games.
The hard work was done in the first half and Southampton took their foot off the gas second half, conceding a couple of late chances late that could have made the game a lot tighter than it should have been.
Ultimately, though, Southampton got over the line in south Wales which ensured the 2023/24 squad and management team have written their place in the club’s history as they overtook the existing unbeaten record set in 1921.
How did Southampton go 20 league games unbeaten?
Martin deserves enormous credit for the turnaround he has overseen at Southampton, completely revolutionising the playing style whilst coming out stronger from a run of four defeats in a row in September.
That run saw the club lose 5-0 to Sunderland, as well as suffer defeat at home to Leicester City Ipswich Town and lose to a then-struggling Middlesbrough side. However, since that defeat to Boro on 23rd September, Southampton have not lost a game.
The little slice of history will be incredibly pleasing for Southampton, but arguably Martin will find it more pleasing that the win took his side into the automatic promotion places with Ipswich playing Leicester on Monday night.
A key factor in the run as been the improvement defensively. Southampton conceded 19 goals in their first eight Championship games of the season but have conceded just 13 in the 20 games since. Much of this is owed to the partnership that Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Jan Bednarek have formed at the centre of defence. Harwood-Bellis showing just why he was so crucial to Burnley’s Championship title win last season, whilst Bednarek has been incredibly reliable and a calming influence.
After struggling to break down opposition defences earlier in the season, Southampton’s attacking play has also improved drastically in the unbeaten run as the players have got to grips with Martin’s fluid philosophy. In the run that has consisted of 14 wins and six draws, the Saints have scored 41 goals; averaging 2.05 goals per game.
Promotion at the first attempt is the aim and this remarkable run has made it go from unthinkable, when the club were sat 15th after the Middlesbrough defeat, to a very realistic target. With bottom place Rotherham United up next, there is no reason why Southampton can’t extend the run further.