Whilst by no means instrumental in delivering victory, there was plenty for Southampton fans to be excited about as young prospect Nathan Tella put in a fine display against Liverpool.
The Saints successfully defended an early 1-0 lead after Danny Ings’ second-minute chip was enough to haunt his former club, although 21-year-old Tella featured for the majority of the game.
Replacing the injured Malian winger Moussa Djenepo around the half-hour mark, the youngster was unlucky not to double the Saints’ lead. Amid a cluster of Liverpool defenders, he curled a superb effort just wide of the post in what would have been a fairytale moment for the forward.
The former Arsenal academy product managed 20 touches of the ball last night and his near-miss was his only shot of the game, but Tella still has every reason to be pleased with his performance.
If the stats are read superficially, his attacking influence was minimal. Although his passing accuracy was indeed poor at below 60%, his technical ability could serve him well in the future if he can improve other areas of his game. He also won three duels, illustrating that he is not overawed by going up against more experienced opponents.
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At just 21, Tella retains a strong degree of potential to improve and is by no means the finished product. However, under Hasenhuttl’s tutelage and the manager’s willingness to put faith in youngsters, he has shown that he can offer an edge to Southampton’s plans and deserves further chances to impress.
Perhaps even a six-month straight loan to the Championship in this month’s window could be an ideal solution to ensure that Tella can better exhibit what he can do, in games with greater potential for him to have meaningful influence if he can’t yet forge his way into the Saints’ starting XI.
