Southampton 1 – 2 Everton

Everton scored twice in a game for the first time this season as they came from behind to beat Southampton in the Premier League at St Mary’s.

After a drab first 45 minutes, the match burst into life when Joe Aribo drilled Saints ahead with a fine left-footed finish early in the second half.

The Toffees had scored just five goals in their opening seven games but turned the game around with two strikes in three minutes.

Conor Coady swept them level from Amadou Onana’s excellent knockdown before Dwight McNeil flashed them ahead with a fierce shot that beat Gavin Bazunu at his near post.

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, on his return from a thigh injury, made a fine save to deny Adam Armstrong, while debutant Duje Caleta-Car volleyed over a great late chance to earn Saints a point.

Victory extended Everton’s unbeaten run to six games, with a second successive win lifting Frank Lampard’s side to 11th in the table, while Saints slip to 15th after a fourth defeat in five.

This was only Everton’s second win in their past 21 away games but Lampard soaked up the travelling support’s applause at the end in the knowledge their form on the road is showing signs of improving.

They had to withstand late Southampton pressure to add this win to hard-earned draws at Leeds and Brentford but they were good value for the victory.

Demarai Gray was their stand-out first-half performer, flashing a 25-yard free-kick just over, sending in a cross that Coady just failed to stab home and then firing straight at Bazunu after a classy run.

It needed Aribo’s opener to light the fire under them, with two of Lampard’s marquee summer signings – on-loan Wolves and England defender Coady and £20m winger McNeil – opening their Toffees accounts.

Both goals owed to fine deliveries, Coady pouncing after Onana nodded down Gray’s free-kick and McNeil bringing down Alex Iwobi’s cross to crash past Bazunu.

But the defensive solidity Lampard has installed – only Manchester City have conceded fewer goals this season – was also on show through a string of vital blocks and tackles, with Pickford on hand when needed.

Southampton’s four defeats in five have all come by single-goal margins but they have now lost seven of their past 10 at St Mary’s despite claiming an impressive win over Chelsea during that run.

They have now failed to keep a clean sheet in 14 consecutive matches and paid the price for switching off defensively so soon after Aribo fired them ahead – the first time this season Saints had opened the scoring.

The summer signing from Rangers has been one of their brightest sparks – he was one of six changes made by Ralph Hasenhuttl for this game but Stuart Armstrong was the only other to make any impact.

Caleta-Car – one of three making a full debut, alongside Juan Larios and Ainsley Maitland-Niles – could have rescued a point in stoppage time but steered over on the volley.

Adam Armstong was also twice denied by Pickford to leave Southampton three points above the bottom three with a daunting trip to champions Manchester City up next on 8 October.

source – BBC