English Premier League - Game 3 - Norwich City (Away)
Burtic replaces Dragowski in goals for this match, due to the latter’s ineffective performances so far. Lovell, Gitschier, Doebel and Wanyama all start as well, whilst Vietto is fast-tracked straight back from his injury into the lineup. We really need a win to kick-start our season.
Fontaine bagged his maiden Southampton goal in the 18th minute, as Gitschier headed Chambers’ cross onto him, and he drilled it into the bottom corner!
Just two minutes later Norwich scythed through us with a sensational move, and Germain finished first time past a motionless Burtic from Bamford’s square pass. Really impressive move from the Canaries.
In the 54th minute it was Fontaine once more! The Italian raced onto Ward-Prowse’s weighted pass after a great team move, and belted it off the crossbar and in from close range. He doesn’t even have a positional strength indicator for left wing yet, but he’s killing it!
In the 59th minute Doebel increased our lead with a close range finish from Dimarco’s low cross.
Knockaert out-jumped Dimarco at the back post in the 67th minute, and his header bounced in off the post.
Just two minutes later though, another nice move saw Dimarco set up Doebel for an almost identical second! Brilliant pass from Vietto to free Dimarco for the cross.
Vietto then announced his return by adding to the scoreline himself, as Fontaine dinked an excellent pass out to Chambers, who sent in a cross for the Argentine to redirect past the keeper.
In the 73rd minute Gasperoni was on for Wanyama, and youth intake player Ivan Smith made his debut in place of Chambers.
Prins replaced the imperious Ward-Prowse in the 76th minute.
In the 87th minute Doebel displayed his lightning pace, receiving a pass from Smith and spinning brilliantly past his man, before darting between another two defenders and slotting past the keeper to seal his hat-trick! What a return to action from the German!
Well I was somewhat concerned at half-time, when we hit the sheds at one all, but in the second half we blew the cobwebs out with a clinical attacking display. A brace from Fontaine and a hat-trick from Doebel saw us obliterate a lively looking Norwich outfit to announce our arrival in this year’s competition. The defence was far from perfect once again, and I keenly await the return of Süle, but our attack was reinvigorated by the simultaneous returns of Gitschier, Vietto and hat-trick hero Doebel. New boy Fontaine also stakes a convincing claim for a starting place in our first-choice lineup by scoring the crucial first two goals. Smith will also be happy with his debut as he picked up an assist thanks to the brilliance of Doebel. Time to regain the ground we’ve lost.
POM: Sven Doebel (9.6, 3G, 0A)