Southampton delivered an impressive performance on their Premier League debut, but somehow left St. James’ Park empty-handed.
The Saints believed they had taken an early lead when captain Jack Stephens tapped in a Will Smallbone shot, but the linesman quickly raised his flag, silencing the away supporters.
The fans found their voice again when, in the 28th minute, Ben Brereton Diaz went down after a clash with centre-back Fabian Schar, leading to the Swiss player being shown a red card for an alleged headbutt.
Despite having a numerical advantage, Southampton fell behind just before halftime due to a goalkeeping error. Alex McCarthy passed the ball straight to Alexander Isak in the box, who then assisted Joelinton to give Newcastle the lead.
In the second half, the Saints controlled possession and pressed for an equalizer, but their attacks lacked real bite, and Newcastle’s defense held firm. Russell Martin was left frustrated as his team returned to the south coast without a reward for their solid performance.
Here are four key takeaways from Southampton’s defeat:
While Martin showed no doubt in his possession-based style working in the Premier League, others might have been skeptical, especially after seeing Vincent Kompany’s Burnley last season. However, despite the unfavorable result, his players effectively executed his footballing philosophy.