Danny Ings scored for the fourth time in his three most-recent competitive outings on Sunday.
The forward netted what proved to be a consolation goal for Southampton as they were dismantled by a ruthless Chelsea side, who came away from St Mary’s with a 4-1 win to show for their efforts.
Saints turned in a lacklustre display, but it seems there is a consensus that one positive to be taken from the defeat was the performance of Ings.
The 27-year-old now has five goals to his name this season. He scored against Liverpool in August, clinched a brace in the win over Portsmouth, and has since struck in the two defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
These fans have been quick to single out Ings as a shining light on an otherwise disappointing day for Southampton…
Twitter: Only real positive today was Danny Ings. Good goal and decent movement.
#DannyIngsisTheKingOfTheScummers #SaintsFC (@SouthCitySi)
Twitter: End on a positive, Danny Ings is in great form and he needs to continue this form for the foreseeable future. He wa… https://t.co/ziaVX0kkfg (@SouthamptonPage)
Twitter: Some reflections from today:
– Romeu & Ings excellent in spite of result
– Gunn & Valery need dropping – both too… https://t.co/mVrZLqOCFC (@Saint_Alastair)
Twitter: Disappointing game today, Ings performance the only real positive to take. Still happy with Ralph but can understan… https://t.co/T6KatJhrxv (@danieljwest93)
Twitter: Ings vs Chelsea:
3 Shots
2 Shots On Target
1 Key Pass
77.8% Pass Accuracy
1 Goal
20 TouchesA poor team performa… https://t.co/wFsL1YWWfV (@Saints1885_com)
Read Southampton’s verdict
Ings only had one clear sighting of goal, and he took it. It’s quite clear that he’s the club’s best striker, but he’s in desperate need of better service.
He fed off scraps at Tottenham and continued in a similar vein against Chelsea, struggling to get involved and being marked out of the game by opposing centre-backs.
Ings has had a good start to the season, and it’s important that Ralph Hasenhuttl sticks with him. While he’s fit, he should be one of the first names on the team sheet.
