Super Eagles stars, Joe Aribo and Paul Onuachu, found the back of the net as Southampton snapped their frustrating six-game Premier League losing streak with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday.
The win also marked their first away triumph of the season, bringing much-needed relief to the struggling side.
Ipswich, missing first-choice goalkeeper Christian Walton due to injury, had to turn to the error-prone Arijanet Muric, and the 26-year-old’s costly mistakes played a pivotal role in their downfall.
Joe Aribo capitalized on one of Muric’s blunders to give Southampton the lead, but Liam Delap responded with a well-taken equalizer just past the 30-minute mark, offering Ipswich a lifeline.
Despite Southampton suffering a double setback when Taylor Harwood-Bellis and his replacement Jack Stephens were both forced off due to injury, Ipswich failed to capitalize on their defensive frailties.
Their wastefulness in front of goal proved costly, as Paul Onuachu struck in the 87th minute, with Muric once again at fault.
While the win does not change Southampton’s standing at the bottom of the table, Ipswich squandered a golden opportunity to escape the relegation zone, especially with Leicester City also falling to Everton.
With the January transfer window closing in just over two days, Ipswich may urgently need to reconsider their goalkeeping options.
Muric’s latest horror show means he now holds the unwanted record for the most errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season, surpassing Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez.
His mistake for Aribo’s opener was inexplicable, and his failure to deal with Onuachu’s late strike compounded Ipswich’s misery.
However, Muric alone was not to blame for Ipswich’s defeat. Despite Southampton’s defensive woes in the second half, McKenna’s men failed to take advantage, producing a lackluster attacking display that hardly tested Aaron Ramsdale.
Meanwhile, Ivan Juric’s Southampton side had already shown signs of improvement before this shock win, which keeps their hopes of avoiding the league’s worst-ever points tally alive. The Saints are now just eight points from safety.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Aribo Opens the Scoring After Muric’s Costly Error
Mateus Fernandes’s deflected cross looped into the path of Aribo, who met it with a flying volley aimed straight at Muric. However, the Ipswich goalkeeper inexplicably helped the ball into the net, handing Southampton an early advantage.
Delap Hits Back Instantly
Just 16 seconds after Ramsdale launched the ball forward, he was retrieving it from his own net. Ipswich regained possession and launched a swift counterattack, with Nathan Broadhead picking out Delap in acres of space.
With only Jan Bednarek attempting to stop him, Delap kept his composure, skipped past the desperate challenge, and fired low past Ramsdale to bring Ipswich level.
Onuachu Capitalizes on Another Muric Mistake to Seal Saints’ Victory
In the dying moments, Kamaldeen Sulemana cut inside from the left and tested Muric with a shot at his near post. Instead of pushing the ball out for a corner, Muric palmed it straight back into the danger zone. Onuachu reacted quickest, pouncing on the rebound to fire Southampton ahead in the 87th minute.
Both sides will shift their focus away from the relegation battle for now. Ipswich face Coventry City in the FA Cup fourth round next weekend, while Southampton will take on Burnley.
When league action resumes, Ipswich have a tough trip to Aston Villa on February 15, while Southampton will host Bournemouth in a crucial South Coast clash on the same day.
