In future, Carlos Alcaraz will probably not be celebrating goals with a knee slide. The 20-year-old Argentinian’s first-half goal could prove vital in Southampton’s fight against relegation but in launching himself across the St Mary’s turf, he endangered his part in the dogfight to come. Victory over Leicester, a toothless team throwing off any pretension of being too good to go down, gives Southampton a fighting chance, but news of Alcaraz’s wounded knee is keenly awaited.
Alcaraz’s goal, created by Che Adams, lifted a game low on quality. It had been low on expectation, too. Both teams were returning to Premier League action after FA Cup defeats to lower-league opposition – Grimsby for Saints, Blackburn for Leicester – categorised as shocking but not entirely surprising.
