Stuart Armstrong delivered a positive performance during Southampton’s 3-1 win at Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Scotland international made his highly-anticipated return to the starting line-up as Saints grabbed three points to move out of the relegation zone in time for Christmas.
Armstrong operated as a wider attacking midfielder in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s preferred 4-2-2-2 shape, and these fans were more than happy with the way he played…
Twitter: Armstrong makes such a big difference #saintsfc (@HarryStokes_93)
Twitter: Armstrong makes a big difference when he plays , no idea why he doesn’t start #SaintsFC (@pnearn)
Twitter: Armstrong has to start every game, no question about it. So creative and attacking, what we really need in our side #saintsfc (@jamie17saints)
Twitter: Good team performance. Armstrong made difference in midfield for me. At last, someone who can carry the ball past t… https://t.co/AfQzw3OkN5 (@rushoman)
Twitter: Armstrong was the difference today, not sure why Ralph doesn’t play him more often
#SaintsFC (@JGeddes10)
Read Southampton’s verdict
Saints have been generally devoid of creativity and energy in the final third this season, with Danny Ings looking like the only player capable of hurting the opposition.
However, Armstrong came in and provided a bright spark on Saturday, causing problems with his intelligent movement and good positioning.
He certainly made a case for retaining his starting berth for the trip to Chelsea on Boxing Day, with Saints likely to need his crisp passing and dynamism in what promises to be an intense outing at Stamford Bridge.
