Southampton 3-2 Burnley: Saints come back to stun the Clarets in five-goal thriller

Report and free highlights as Southampton recover from 2-0 down to beat Burnley 3-2 to move further clear of drop zone; the Clarets had led through Chris Wood’s penalty and Matej Vydra goal; the Saints hit back thanks to strikes from Stuart Armstrong, Danny Ings and Nathan Redmond

By Richard Morgan

Southampton came back from 2-0 down to beat Burnley 3-2 at St Mary’s to move further clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

The visitors had raced into a 2-0 lead on the south coast thanks to Chris Wood’s 12th-minute penalty – awarded after the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee – and Matej Vydra’s well-taken goal 16 minutes later.

However, the Saints drew level before half-time through Stuart Armstrong’s fine strike just past the half-hour mark and then Danny Ings’ wonderful solo goal against his former side.

Nathan Redmond’s sweetly struck volley midway through the second half completed the turnaround for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team, who have moved up to 13th in the table and are now 10 points clear of 18th-placed Fulham, while the Clarets stay 15th, seven points above the drop zone.

Player ratings

Southampton: Forster (6), Bertrand (7), Vestergaard (7), Bednarek (7), Walker-Peters (6), Redmond (7), Ward-Prowse (7), Diallo (6), Armstrong (7), Walcott (7), Ings (9)

Subs: Adams (6), Djenepo (6), Salisu (6)

Burnley: Pope (8), Pieters (7), Tarkowski (6), Mee (6), Lowton (7), Gudmundsson (6), Brownhill (6), Westwood (6), McNeil (7), Wood (7), Vydra (7)

Subs: Taylor (6), Rodriguez (6), Richardson (6)

Man of the match: Danny Ings

How Southampton hit back to stun the Clarets

The sides started the day level on points and knowing that a win would all but secure their Premier League survival for another season, with the visitors racing out of the traps on a sun-drenched day on the south coast.

Buoyed no doubt by their impressive 2-1 win at high-flying Everton before the international break, Burnley began the contest confidently and deservedly went ahead early on after the VAR told referee Andre Marriner to look at Kyle Walker-Peters’ clumsy challenge on Erik Pieters.

Team news

Southampton striker Danny Ings was back to lead the home side’s line. The England international had been sidelined since suffering a leg problem at Sheffield United on March 6, while Theo Walcott was also restored to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s starting XI following a thigh issue.

As for the visitors, Sean Dyche has named an unchanged line-up following the 2-1 win at Everton three weeks ago.

The official agreed with Jon Moss that it was a foul, with top-scorer Wood – on penalty-taking duties in the absence of Ashley Barnes – slamming home his seventh goal of the campaign, as well as a club record-equalling 41st in the Premier League.

One soon became two in typical Burnley fashion as Ben Mee’s long punt upfield was nodded on by Wood to Vydra, whose low strike from outside the area somehow got past a flat-footed Fraser Forster.

But if the Clarets thought the points were in the bag, they were mistaken, with the hosts replying with two goals of their own before the break, the first after a lovely team move that ended with Ings’ clever layoff finding Armstrong, who swept home from the edge of the box.

Then, three minutes before half-time, Walker-Peters’ hopeful clearance up the right touchline caused Mee to hesitate momentarily, allowing Ings to nip in and after selling James Tarkowski a dummy, the forward levelled matters with a composed finish through Nick Pope’s legs.

Not surprisingly, the second period failed to hit the heights of the first 45 minutes, but it was Southampton who grabbed the crucial next goal after a period of concerted pressure forced several brilliant stops from Pope.

With 24 minutes to go, the England international could only palm Ings’ well-struck effort from the edge of the area to Theo Walcott, whose floated cross to the far post found the unmarked Redmond, and the winger’s fiercely struck volley completed the turnaround.

Both sides had great chances late on to score again, with Forster’s brilliant reaction stop denying Wood as the Saints held on to record their first home win in three months.

Saints finally win at home – Opta stats

Southampton picked up their first Premier League home win since their first game in 2021 (1-0 v Liverpool), ending a run of five league games at St. Mary’s without a victory (D1 L4).
Southampton won a Premier League game that they had trailed by two goals in for the first time since March 2016, when they won 3-2 against Liverpool under Ronald Koeman – a game in which Sadio Mane netted a brace for the Saints.
Burnley lost after leading 2-0 in a Premier League game for the first time since January 2015, when they were beaten by the same 3-2 scoreline by Crystal Palace.
This was only the second Premier League game this season to see both teams score twice in the first half, following the 4-3 win for Liverpool against Leeds United on the opening day.
Nathan Redmond has been directly involved in five goals in his last two games for Southampton (three goals and two assists), as many direct goal involvements as he had registered in his previous 30 appearances in all competitions combined.
Chris Wood’s penalty for Burnley was the 100th taken in the Premier League this season, and the 83rd to be converted – this is only the seventh Premier League campaign to see a century of penalties awarded.
Matej Vydra has scored two goals in his last four Premier League games for Burnley, as many as he had in his previous 45 appearances in the competition combined.

Players to score 5+ right footed, 5+ left footed and 5+ headed @premierleague goals since the start of last season:

Raheem Sterling
Richarlison
𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗱 pic.twitter.com/EpaYg92ivK

— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) April 4, 2021

What the managers said…

Man of the Match – Danny Ings

Burnley really should have known what was coming when the teams were announced at St Mary’s and Danny Ings was in the Southampton starting line-up for the first time since suffering a leg problem at Sheffield United on March 6.

Ings just loves scoring against his former clubs – just ask Liverpool, Bournemouth and the Clarets themselves, who have been on the receiving end of goals from Ings twice before.

The England international was at it again in the Easter Sunday sunshine, firstly helping to get his team back in the contest with a delicious assist for Armstrong’s strike, before levelling matters himself with a wonderful solo effort just before the break.

And it was Ings’ shot that led to Southampton’s winner as the striker became only the fourth player in Premier League history to score in four games in a row against former sides.

Danny Ings last 5 @premierleague games v former clubs

v Burnley ⚽
v Bournemouth ⚽
v Burnley ⚽
v Liverpool ⚽
v Burnley ⚽🅰️ pic.twitter.com/kma4Lv28rf

— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) April 4, 2021