Goals have been difficult to come by since Southampton returned to the Premier League as Russell Martin tries to find a solution to his misfiring attack.
Tyler Dibling fired Southampton 1-0 up against Ipswich Town on Saturday before Russell Martin was cruelly denied a first win as a Premier League manager by a 95th-minute Sam Morsy equaliser.
The 1-1 draw with Ipswich did at least see Southampton get their first point on the board and move up a place to 18th in the table, but this provides little comfort.
The only player other than 18-year-old Dibling to score for Southampton in the Premier League this season is right-back Yukinari Sugawara, with none of the club’s strikers getting on the scoresheet.
Adam Armstrong and Ben Brereton Diaz started the season as a centre-forward duo but Cameron Archer has now started the past two league matches as the striker in a 4-3-3 formation after scoring a brace in the 5-3 Carabao Cup win over Cardiff City.
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Cameron Archer wasteful in front of goal for Southampton
Archer showed a clinical streak as he netted twice against Cardiff but this has been missing ever since.
Southampton had a glorious opportunity to make their early dominance count against Manchester United as Dibling was brought down for a penalty but Archer missed the spot-kick as well as the rebound.
Against Ipswich, Archer was again guilty of squandering opportunities as he missed two glorious chances; one of which came as he struck the post after rounding the Ipswich goalkeeper.
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Southampton spent £15 million to sign Archer from Sheffield United in the summer but he may now find his position under threat as Martin desperately needs one of his centre-forwards to hit form.
Southampton have Ross Stewart and Ben Brereton Diaz waiting to replace Archer
Speaking on Archer shortly after signing, Martin was full of praise for the 23-year-old, saying: “As a coach, it’s seriously exciting to work with someone who has his raw talent and athletic ability.
“I think we can help certain aspects of his game. He’s going to be judged on goals. He’s a fantastic finisher who is always in the right place.”
Despite Martin’s comments, the fact remains that Archer has scored just four goals in 44 Premier League appearances across his career so far and is yet to prove he can really make an impact at the top level.
Brereton Diaz spent the second half of last season on loan at Sheffield United with Archer before signing for Southampton in the summer but has looked a player low on confidence having failed to score this camapign.
The Chile international will feel he has a point to prove, though, and will be looking to replace Archer in the starting XI for next week’s trip to Bournemoth.
Another player who will have his eyes on Archer’s spot is Ross Stewart.
Stewart signed for Southampton for £10 million in summer 2023 but is yet to start a single game for the club due to a couple of long-term injuries.
Now, the 27-year-old has come off the bench in the past three games in all competitions and will be looking to make up for lost time by upsurping Archer to get his Premier League chance.
Perhaps the best thing that can be said of Archer is that he is getting in the right positions to have chances, but he needs to start turning chances to goals quickly if he is to remain Martin’s preferred centre-forward.