It is on such moments, seasons are defined. James Ward-Prowse had already performed his celebratory golf swing and soaked up the adoration of St Mary’s. It was not his sweetest of strikes, but it mattered little: yet again, the man Southampton rely upon had proved his reliability.
But when referee Michael Salisbury was directed to the touchline monitor, there was an inevitability to the outcome. Sure enough, Mohamed Elyounoussi was determined to have trodden on Jacob Ramsey’s heel and the match remained level.
