Southampton made it three consecutive competitive away wins without conceding for the first time since 1986, and four games unbeaten in all competitions, thanks to another moment of magic from Moussa Djenepo at Bramall Lane.
Saints took maximum points from an entertaining affair that could have gone either way. Che Adams struck the post and was denied brilliantly by Dean Henderson in the first half, while Angus Gunn made a fantastic save one-on-one with David McGoldrick.
Sheffield United actually took the lead early in the second half after Jannik Vestergaard gave away a free kick on the right-hand side before VAR rightly disallowed Oli McBurnie’s finish due to an offside in the build-up.
Southampton eventually took the lead after Sofiane Boufal won the ball back and played it into the feet of Djenepo, who shrugged off Ollie Norwood’s foul and another two Sheffield United defenders to open up some space in the penalty area and finish low and hard in the bottom corner.
Billy Sharp was shown a straight red card in the closing minutes of the game for a rash challenge on Stuart Armstrong as Saints saw out the win against 10 men.
Here are four findings that we can take away from Saints’ third successive away win in all competitions.
Boufal's Redemption
Boufal was brought back from the cold in pre-season by Ralph Hasenhuttl after being exiled by Mark Hughes. There has never been any doubt about his quality on the ball, but there was always a question mark over his efforts out of possession. The game on Saturday has begun to write off those question marks, with Boufal’s work both on and off the ball being absolutely tremendous. Also, his interactions with the travelling support suggest that he has his head down and is ready to put the hard work in after a difficult first few years here.
Bertrand fallout?
Ryan Bertrand was an unused sub on Saturday with Moussa Djenepo preferred to the England international at left wing-back. Bertrand was also missing from the matchday squad against Manchester United despite being reported to be fit and available for the fixture. Whether there has been a “bust-up” between Bertrand and Hasenhuttl is yet to be seen, but you just get the sense that something has happened for Bertrand not to be selected, if fit, given that he is the club’s only fit, first-team, traditional left-back.
A formidable front three
Southampton boasted a front three of Che Adams, Boufal, and Djenepo, and at times against Sheffield United, they were simply unplayable.
Adams’s hold-up play was exceptional and brought Saints into some really dangerous situations; Boufal drifted past players and released the ball at the right time; Djenepo has produced two moments of magic already.
The issue is: how do you fit Nathan Redmond into that front three? It’s a nice issue for Saints fans and Hasenhuttl to ponder…
Momentum Gathering
Saints are now unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions, with three wins and a draw. They look to be gaining momentum at the right time heading into the South Coast derby next week. Saints host Bournemouth on Friday before they make the trip down the M27 to Fratton Park, and the momentum going into the game and the rest of the season could be pivotal moving forward.