When you have lost three games in a row, any win is a good win. And there is no such thing as a bad win by four goals. But equally, the context is unavoidable. This is a Southampton side who are doomed, who are letting in 2.41 goals per game, who have lost 14 of their past 17 league games and who have nothing to play for this season beyond trying to scrape together the three points that would take them above Derby’s record low of 11.
The Premier League’s unique selling point is supposed to be that anybody can beat anybody, but it’s hard to square that with this Southampton. “I’m frustrated,” said Ivan Juric, who pointed out his team had defended well for 20 minutes. “It’s a really tough situation.”
