Leicester win from two goals down to pile on the misery for struggling Saints

Posted Sunday, October 20, 2024 by PA

Jordan Ayew completed a sensational turnaround as his added-time winner capped a 3-2 comeback win for Leicester at 10-man Southampton.

Substitute Ayew smashed in Harry Winks’ low corner eight minutes into stoppage time, after Facundo Buonanotte and Jamie Vardy’s penalty sparked an incredible comeback.

Goals from Cameron Archer and Joe Aribo had lifted the hosts and built hope of a first victory of the Premier League season.

However, the second-half turnaround ramps up the pressure on boss Russell Martin – with Saints club-record run of matches without a top-flight victory now at 21.

Their last Premier League win was against Leicester but the omens were not on their side – with 4-1 and 5-0 defeats to the Foxes in the Championship last season and Leicester boss Steve Cooper holding a 9-2 aggregate record against Martin from their previous two clashes.

However, the hosts belied the statistics to hit the crossbar, through Aribo, in the fifth minute before taking the lead three minutes later.

Archer tapped in for the second match in a row but the goal was borne out of a quickly taken free-kick by Flynn Downes, before Kyle Walker-Peters strode forward and fed Ryan Manning to slide across for the former Sheffield United striker to finish.

James Justin and Wilfred Ndidi headed and flicked at corners but their route into the match became harder when Aribo doubled the lead – the first time Saints had scored twice in the league this season. Walker-Peters beat Justin down the left and centred for the Nigerian to net his first goal of the campaign.

Midfielder Downes almost squirmed a volley through Mads Hermansen’s legs, either side of captain Vardy heading onto the roof of the net and Bilal El Khannouss curling an effort against the inside of the post.

Saints started the second half strongly, with Wout Faes forcing an acrobatic save out of his own goalkeeper before Tyler Dibling cut in and forced a low save from Hermansen.

But from the hour mark the Foxes sensed nerves and started their comeback.

The visitors pulled a goal back in the 64th minute when lively substitute Abdul Fatawu made progress down the right and smartly lifted a cross over Aaron Ramsdale for Buonanotte to bundle in.

Fatawu then skimmed the underside of the bar, before running into the box to force a stunning one-handed save out of Ramsdale.

As Vardy attempted to force in the rebound, Fraser grabbed his shirt, which after a VAR intervention, saw the home player dismissed and a penalty awarded. Vardy converted powerfully for his third goal of the season, his 13th goal involvement against Saints and his seventh goal at St Mary’s.

And a minute after the signalled seven minutes of added time, the comeback was complete when Winks found Ayew unmarked on the edge of the box and the forward fired into the bottom corner.

As the away end celebrated, Southampton’s players were left shellshocked in the middle of the pitch at the final whistle, as boos rang out.