Southampton are one of only two teams along with Everton who are yet to pick up a single point after four matches in the Premier League this season, most recently losing 3-0 at home to Manchester United last weekend.
However, the Saints supporters were given something to cheer about in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, as Russell Martin’s men edged themselves beyond the third round with a 6-5 penalty-shootout victory over Everton at Goodison Park following a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.
After Taylor Harwood-Bellis cancelled out Abdoulaye Doucoure’s opener in normal time, goalkeeper Alex McCarthy became Southampton’s hero on his 150th appearance for the club, as he made the decisive save in the penalty shootout, thwarting Ashley Young to send the Saints marching into the fourth round for the fifth time in seven seasons.
Martin, who has been under some pressure to grind out positive results, is “so excited about what is to come” from his Southampton players and believes that claiming their first Premier League win of the season will allow everyone at the club to “relax”.
With fixtures against Ipswich, Bournemouth and Leicester City in the coming weeks, Southampton will hope that their first victory is not too far around the corner, but success on Saturday is not a given as they have failed to win any of their previous three home meetings with Ipswich, including a narrow 1-0 loss in the Championship last season.
