Big Southampton talking points from defeat at Norwich City | OneFootball

Southampton slipped to 10th in the Championship after a 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Norwich City on Saturday afternoon, a match that again began brightly then tailed off.

With the scores level at half-time, the hosts finished stronger. Southampton mustered only two shots on target after the interval and none after the hour, producing 0.32 xG. Daily Echo highlights a recurring pattern of strong starts followed by late fade under Tonda Eckert.

Adam Armstrong saw his penalty saved by Vladan Kovacevic at Carrow Road, leaving him with three misses from his last four Saints spot-kicks. He also failed to convert against Sheffield United and Liverpool, though he scored versus Millwall. After seven straight conversions before November 2024, he may need to vary his technique.

Scienza has never taken above Germany's third tier and not since January 2024, but he always scored. Finn Azaz has taken, and scored, one.

Eckert's second-half ledger reads two wins, three draws and three losses, with causes unclear, whether depth, concentration or in-game adaptations.

Only six Championship sides have conceded as many or more than Saints, half of them from the bottom three. They have let in 30 from an expected 28.6, underlining it is not down to bad luck. Their save percentage is second worst, and only Sheffield Wednesday fare worse in aerial duels.

Set pieces could be shifting, with specialist Scienza clipping the bar from a free-kick. Ryan Manning, now on four after his second-half strike, previously scored against Wrexham and Watford under Will Still and is chasing his 2022/23 benchmark of five with Swansea City.

Source: Daily Echo