Southampton booked their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in dramatic style with a last-gasp victory over Stoke City.
It’s a competition that has acted as a welcome distraction for Russell Martin, who has watched his side win just one point from their opening nine Premier League games.
Southampton claimed a 5-3 victory over Cardiff City in the second round of the Carabao Cup before beating Everton on penalties and securing a dramatic late win over Stoke.
Goals from Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Adam Armstrong were cancelled out by Ashley Phillips and Tom Cannon.
But just as though it looked like the match was going to penalties, James Bree popped up with an 88th-minute winner, sparking scenes of jubilation all around St Marys.
Bree scored a winning goal for the second time in this competition and that would have left Martin delighted however, there was another player who achieved the opposite.
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Cameron Archer was anonymous vs Stoke City
Martin went with a strong starting XI against Stoke, choosing to start Cameron Archer up front.
The Englishman has scored four times since arriving from Aston Villa in the summer, including two goals in the Carabao Cup, though he never looked like scoring on Wednesday night.
| Cameron Archer’s stats vs Stoke City |
| 67 minutes played |
| 1 shot off target |
| 0 successful dribbles |
| 6 touches |
| 2/3 accurate passes |
| 0 duels won |
Archer was pretty anonymous throughout the game, making just six touches during his time on the pitch while winning 0 duels and making just two passes.
The Saints struggled to get him in the game and the Daily Echo described him as a ‘peripheral figure’ all evening while handing him a 5/10 match rating.
Martin saw enough from the 22-year-old by the 67-minute mark and replaced him with Paul Onuachu, who has looked promising from the bench this term.
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Why Paul Onuachu should start vs Everton
Onuachu surprised many when he remained at Southampton beyond the summer as there was an expectation he’d leave St Marys after a torrid spell.
However, the towering Nigerian striker has since edged his way into Martin’s plans, coming off the bench on four occasions.
Saints legend Francis Benali was impressed by Onuachu in the defeat to Arsenal as he gave the Gunners something different to think about.
The 6 foot 7 striker possesses the height and physicality to outmuscle defenders and in a relegation six-pointer against Everton, Southampton will crave those attributes.
For that main reason and his ability to hold up the ball for his teammates, Martin should start him against the Toffees this weekend, with Archer dropping to the bench.
It could benefit having the Englishman as a super sub, utilising his pace and skill against a tiring defence as opposed to bringing on the physically imposing Onuachu.