Southampton have not won a Premier League game without the help of Moussa Djenepo in their opening seven outings this season.
The 21-year-old was signed for a meagre £14 million from Standard Liege in the summer and has already had a massive impact.
Djenepo has added a unique edge to this Southampton side’s front-line; he is direct, aggressive and skilful. Sofiane Boufal and Nathan Redmond are outstanding technicians, but the Malian marries such ability with penetration.
In tightly-contested fixtures, Djenepo has been the difference-maker. His introduction at Brighton and Hove Albion proved to be the catalyst for a vital three points on the road.
Saints had been previously bereft of attacking threat, but his emergence onto the scene put the Seagulls on the back foot, and it was his positive running and willingness to carry the ball that saw the visitors break the deadlock.
His absence against Manchester United, too, was felt. Although Southampton rescued a point courtesy of a header from Jannik Vestergaard, they lacked the necessary dynamism and drive in the final third, with Djenepo and Redmond sidelined.
If the winger’s importance wasn’t already reinforced by the toothless display that followed, it was affirmed against Sheffield United. Again, Saints pushed to break down the resilient Blades back-line but only succeeded when a moment of magic from Djenepo secured all three points.
However, risking the new signing in this game came at a cost, and it seems Ralph Hasenhuttl and his side are now paying the price. There is no expected return date for Djenepo, and just when he will be available from a niggling muscle problem is unclear.
It is unusual for a fresh face to shoulder such reliance and significance at this early stage of their tenure at a new club, but it is difficult to think of a player who is already more important to Southampton’s success in the final third than the Malian.
Saints’ display at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday epitomised their problems in possession; they had all of the ball in the second half, camped on the edge of Spurs’ box, but failed to test Hugo Lloris from open play once.
It would be somewhat naive to suggest that with Djenepo on the pitch, Saints would have breached their hosts’ defence. But what does seem certain, though, is that the team would have had a far more direct, aggressive runner in the final third, and one who would have been adept at exploiting Moussa Sissoko’s discomfort at right-back after Serge Aurier’s dismissal.
Redmond and Boufal are absolutely capable of performing to a high standard in the Premier League. But in games such as that of Saturday’s, Southampton’s problems were laid bare, and Djenepo was a clear miss.
