SOU vs LEI
Match Centre
SOU vs LEI As It Happened
Key moments so far
- Maguire strikes stoppage-time winner for Leicester at St Mary's
- Bertrand rifles home the opener shortly after half time
- Gray equalises four minutes later
- Visitors get on the front foot after Højbjerg is sent off 13 minutes from time
Read our report from St Mary's
Ten-man Southampton were denied a point by Harry Maguire's added-time strike, which decided a dramatic encounter with Leicester, at St Mary's.
FULL TIME: Southampton 1-2 Leicester City
It was going so well for Saints, who took the lead early in the second half through Ryan Bertrand's stunning strike on his 150th appearance for the club. But Demarai Gray quickly equalised for visitors Leicester, who began to apply late pressure after Pierre-Emile Højbjerg's second-half dismissal. Cue a painful finale, as Harry Maguire's low shot from distance sneaks in to snatch maximum points.
Free-kick for Saints...
This could be our last chance. It's a free-kick just left of centre, 30 yards from goal. Time to make yourself a hero...
Yellow Card for Harry Maguire (Leicester City)
The goalscorer goes into the book for taking his shirt off in celebration.
Heartbreak at St Mary's
A painful blow for Saints, as Maguire takes aim from 25 yards and sees his low shot nestle inside the near post.
GOAL
Harry Maguire (+1’) | 1 – 2
Four added minutes
Just stoppage time remains at St Mary's...
Cédric fires wide
It's a highly ambitious attempt from the right-back, on his left foot, and it sails off target from long range.
Leicester City substitution: Shinji Okazaki replaces Demarai Gray
Last change for the visitors, as Okazaki comes on for the final minutes.
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Southampton substitution: Stuart Armstrong replaces Shane Long
Long's race is run - a typically hard-working display - so on comes Armstrong for the closing stages.
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Amartey tests McCarthy
A fizzing low shot from the wide man is well held by the stooping Saints keeper, who did well to hold on.
Long drops in
Leicester are starting to boss these closing stages now. Long has dropped into a right-wing position, leaving Austin up front in a 4-4-1 formation.
Hoedt goes close to an own goal
A cross from the left takes a freak deflection off Hoedt that completely wrong-foots McCarthy, but thankfully drops just a yard wide of his goal.
McCarthy denies Chilwell
Left-back Chilwell bursts into the box and goes eye to eye with McCarthy, but the keeper saves with his legs.
1️⃣0️⃣ minutes to go...
Sensing their depleted team needs help, the Saints fans rise to encourage their side. This game is very finely balanced. Stick or twist?
Southampton substitution: Oriol Romeu replaces Mohamed Elyounoussi
Hughes responds quickly by introducing Romeu to fill the void in the middle. A positive sign from the boss to leave two strikers on the pitch.
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Red Card for Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Southampton)
It's a second yellow card for Højbjerg, who has been dismissed for an alleged dive. Saints went from thinking they'd won a penalty to being a man down.
Speculative shot from Højbjerg
The midfielder takes aim from a long way out, but his shot sails high and wide. Saints need to remain patient here if they are to find a winner.
2️⃣0️⃣ minutes to go ⏳
Can Saints find a winner? The hosts are back on the front foot as time ticks down at St Mary's...
Southampton substitution: Charlie Austin replaces Danny Ings
Hughes responds with his first alteration - it's a straight swap up front, as Ings's first home start is cut short.
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Leicester City substitution: Marc Albrighton replaces Kelechi Iheanacho
It's the first change of the game. Albrighton comes on, curiously leaving Puel's men with no recognised striker on the pitch. It seems Gray will play through the middle.
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Yellow Card for Ryan Bertrand (Southampton)
Bertrand goes into the book for holding back Maddison and preventing a Leicester attack.
📸 Enjoy that one, skipper?
Ryan Bertrand celebrates with his teammates after hammering Saints into a 1-0 lead. Not a bad way to celebrate your 150th appearance in red and white!
Crucial interception from Lemina
Suddenly Leicester have come to life. Ndidi powers down the right and his low cross is not held by McCarthy. Iheanacho looks favourite to reach the loose ball first, but Lemina is quickest to react and gets his body in the way, crucially.
Gray instantly draws Leicester level
That's a tough one to take. Having worked so hard to get their noses in front, Saints are immediately pegged back. Iheanacho's cross is headed up rather than away by Cédric, who loses the flight of it in the air. That gives Gray time to take it down and drive a low shot inside McCarthy's near post.
GOAL
Demarai Gray (55’) | 1 – 1
BERTRAND SCORES!
What a strike from the skipper! Højbjerg's low cross is intended for Elyounoussi, but the Norwegian slips and the ball rolls agonisingly past him. All is not lost, however, as Bertrand steps on to it and rifles a left-footed shot into the top corner from 20 yards! Get in!
GOOOAL!!!
Ryan Bertrand (52’) | 1 – 0
Chance for Pereira
Hoedt is caught napping and Pereira shrugs him off the ball, but his shot is straight down the throat of McCarthy.
Schmeichel shuts down Ings
Positive start from Saints! Bertrand feeds a lovely ball in behind the defence for Ings, who tries to lift his shot over Schmeichel, but the keeper makes another important save.
We're back under way!
The second half is up and running at St Mary's. Come on, Saints! 👊
HALF TIME: Southampton 0-0 Leicester City
It's goalless at the interval, but Saints have certainly been the team in the ascendancy. Kasper Schmeichel has made saves from Mohamed Elyounoussi and Danny Ings, but still no breakthrough at St Mary's. The visitors have failed to make the most of some promising attacking situations with some loose passing.
Ings goes close
Ings receives the ball into feet from Redmond inside the box. He turns sharply and shoots low towards the far corner, where Schmeichel parries just beyond the onrushing Long, who was inches away from a tap-in.
Maddison can't find Gray
Leicester have worked two or three decent openings of late, but their final ball has let them down. Maddison rushes the opportunity to feed Gray and overhits his pass, much to his own frustration.
Iheanacho goes close
Just as I say that... Chilwell produces an excellent cross from quite a deep position wide on the left, but the ball just shoots up off the turf and gets away from the stretching Iheanacho, who was unmarked in the middle.
Sloppy from Ndidi
The Nigerian international did well to dispossess Bertrand, which left Saints exposed, but his pass through for Iheanacho is well over-hit. Leicester's lone striker has hardly had a kick so far.
Gray diverts the ball wide
McCarthy has hardly touched the ball all afternoon, but he could have been caught out when Chilwell's low cross took a slight deflection and then struck Gray on the way through. He didn't know much about it, but the ball could've deceived the Saints keeper, who is relieved to watch it wide.
Chance for Bertrand!
A terrific cross-field ball from Vestergaard sets Redmond away down the left. His cutback looks just right for Bertrand, but the defender is stepping on to it at such pace he can't control his shot and loses balance.
Ings tries to work a yard of space...
Quick feet from Ings on the edge of the box, but he can't escape the clutches of Mendy and ends up bringing down the Leicester man in his eagerness to maintain possession.
Another Saints corner...
That's five Saints have won in less than half an hour. Can we make it count? Nearly! Vestergaard attacks it but heads wide. Getting closer.
Yellow Card for Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Southampton)
Højbjerg is tricked by Maddison and brings him down near the halfway line. That's his third foul, so he enters the book.
Leicester break with purpose
Straight from that Schmeichel save, Leicester launch a counter-attack as Pereira bursts down the right. If he can pick out a blue shirt Saints are in trouble, but the ball doesn't quite reach Maddison on the edge of the six-yard box.
Elyounoussi denied by Schmeichel
First save either keeper has had to make. Elyounoussi's corner somehow finds its way back to the Norwegian, who skips inside and tests Schmeichel with a low drive towards the near post that's parried back into play.
No free-kick 🤔
Long appears to be tripped right on the edge of the Leicester box, but play is allowed to continue. The striker stays down temporarily nursing injury, suggesting there must have been contact.
First chance for Leicester
The game has been played almost exclusively in the Leicester half so far, but suddenly the Foxes spring an attack that yields a corner. Maddison delivers, but it's headed over by Ndidi at the near post.
More attacking intent from Saints!
This is the best start Saints have made to a game in the early stages of this season so far. Redmond's pass to the underlapping Bertrand is just overhit, before Gray is forced to concede another corner.
Højbjerg keen to impress
The Dane has already won the ball twice in midfield, in typically competitive style. He looks eager to make an impression on his first start of the season.
Tactical talk
Both sides are lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Lemina and Højbjerg are Saints' holding players, with Elyounoussi on the right, Redmond on the left and Ings playing behind Long. Leicester have Maddison playing in the number ten role behind Iheanacho, with Amartey and Gray on the flanks.
We're under way at St Mary's!
Straightaway Saints win the first corner with some positive play from kick-off, but Leicester escape with a free-kick after the set-piece is taken short. Keep it going, lads!
We're ready to go!
Saints are in their traditional red and white striped shirts, with black shorts and socks. Leicester are head to toe in blue with their travelling fans behind them in the first half.
15.00The teams are in the tunnel!
Kick-off is just moments away...
14.54Warm-ups complete ✅
1️⃣0️⃣ minutes to go! Saints have been out warming up on the St Mary's pitch - check out our best pre-match snaps! 📸
14.502️⃣5️⃣ minutes until kick-off! ⏳
We're counting down to kick-off here at St Mary's - stay with us for regular match updates and live commentary so you can stay up to date with all the action!
14.35
3️⃣ changes for the Foxes 🦊
Claude Puel makes three alterations to his side, including the enforced absence of Jamie Vardy through suspension. Kelechi Iheanacho takes his place up front, while Wes Morgan and Daniel Amartey come in for Jonny Evans and Marc Albrighton.
14.284️⃣ changes for Saints!
Mark Hughes makes four changes for the visit of Leicester City to St Mary's. Jannik Vestergaard and Mohamed Elyounoussi return from illness and injury respectively, while Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Shane Long are in for their first starts of the season. Jack Stephens, Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse and Charlie Austin drop to the bench.
14.10Leicester team confirmed
Southampton team confirmed 😇
Starting XI: McCarthy, Cédric, Vestergaard, Hoedt, Bertrand, Redmond, Lemina, Højbjerg, Elyounoussi, Ings, Long.
Saints have arrived! 📸
Check out our gallery of images as the players and staff arrived at St Mary's ahead of today's game. We'll have team news in ten minutes! ⏳
13.4913.44we know coming into the game we need three points today. drawing at home to burnley and losing away at everton, we know it's a big game for us, but we're ready for it.
alex mccarthysouthampton goalkeeper
Saints to don Scope sponsored shirts!
The dressing room is all set at St Mary's, where today Virgin Media have donated their shirt sponsorship to Scope, their national charity partner, in support of disabled people across the UK. It's a great cause and one we're proud to showcase on our shirts 😇
13.20Under-23s draw with United
Our Under-23s maintained their unbeaten start to the season last night, as they drew 1-1 in Premier League 2, against Manchester United. Check out the highlights from Staplewood Campus.
12.3511.54we've got to have a real intensity to our play. I think at times we've been a little bit passive and waiting to see what the opposition's ideas are, so we want to change that around.
mark hughessouthampton manager
Hughes previews today's game
We caught up with manager Mark Hughes at Staplewood Campus this week, to get his thoughts on facing Leicester City this afternoon.
11.50Saints also supporting Southampton Pride
Thousands of people are celebrating the 2018 edition of Southampton Pride in the city today, and the club is once again proud to be backing the event, as its lead sporting partner!
11.48Saints to wear Scope logo today
Southampton's players will be supporting disability equality in today's match, after Virgin Media Kindly donated its shirt sponsorship to the charity Scope. Find out more in the video above.
11.47IT'S MATCHDAY!
We're back at St Mary's for the second home game of the Premier League season! It's Leicester City who are the visitors today, with former manager Claude Puel back in town. We'll be with you all day for build-up, team news, instant match updates and free live commentary, so stick with us...
11.46SOU vs LEI Line Ups
Southampton
| 1 |
Alex McCarthy (GK)
|
|---|---|
| 6 |
Wesley Hoedt
|
| 4 |
Jannik Vestergaard
|
| 21 |
Ryan Bertrand (C)
|
| 2 |
Cédric Soares
|
| 23 |
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg
|
| 22 |
Nathan Redmond
|
| 11 |
Mohamed Elyounoussi
Oriol Romeu (79′)
|
| 18 |
Mario Lemina
|
| 7 |
Shane Long
Stuart Armstrong (86′)
|
| 9 |
Danny Ings
Charlie Austin (69′)
|
Substitutes
| 28 |
Angus Gunn |
|---|---|
| 5 |
Jack Stephens |
| 8 |
Steven Davis |
| 16 |
James Ward-Prowse |
| 17 |
Stuart Armstrong |
| 10 |
Charlie Austin |
| 14 |
Oriol Romeu |
Leicester City
| 1 |
Kasper Schmeichel (GK)
|
|---|---|
| 3 |
Ben Chilwell
|
| 18 |
Daniel Amartey
|
| 5 |
Wes Morgan (C)
|
| 15 |
Harry Maguire
|
| 24 |
Nampalys Mendy
|
| 14 |
Ricardo Pereira
|
| 25 |
Wilfred Ndidi
|
| 7 |
Demarai Gray
Shinji Okazaki (88′)
|
| 10 |
James Maddison
Rachid Ghezzal (78′)
|
| 8 |
Kelechi Iheanacho
Marc Albrighton (67′)
|
Substitutes
| 31 |
Rachid Ghezzal |
|---|---|
| 28 |
Christian Fuchs |
| 11 |
Marc Albrighton |
| 23 |
Adrien Silva |
| 20 |
Shinji Okazaki |
| 12 |
Danny Ward |
| 6 |
Jonny Evans |
SOU vs LEI Match Stats
Head to Head Stats
-
Possession (%)5248
-
Shots118
-
Shots on target55
-
Corners103
-
Passes Complete373352
