Saints draw another blank in stalemate with Bournemouth

Posted Sunday, October 21, 2018 by PA

Southampton failed to score for the fourth successive Premier League game as they held high-flying Bournemouth to a 0-0 draw.

Saints played their part in a tight encounter at the Vitality Stadium but struggled to create and have now gone 385 top-flight minutes without finding the net.

Bournemouth, who maintained their unbeaten home record with the stalemate, were also guilty of lacking a cutting edge and needed 72 minutes to produce an effort on target.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg threatened three times from distance for the visitors, while Adam Smith, David Brooks and Joshua King squandered decent openings for the home side.

Eddie Howe’s Cherries averaged two points a game from their opening eight fixtures and, after Ryan Fraser and King each overcame injury concerns, he stuck with the team which won 4-0 at Watford before the international break.

Saints, who last went four Premier League games without a goal in 2004, lost their previous three league fixtures by an aggregate score of 8-0.

Mark Hughes opted to make three changes from the 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on October 7, replacing Maya Yoshida, Jan Bednarek and Manolo Gabiaddini with Jack Stephens, Mohamed Elyounoussi and Charlie Austin.

In a physical opening period, Cherries full-back Smith burst into the box but fluffed his attempt after receiving the ball back from Callum Wilson, while Brooks later fired well wide when well placed.

Hojbjerg, who had earlier had a volley blocked, conjured the game’s first attempt on target in the 45th minute, although it was straight at Asmir Begovic.

Recalled Saints striker Austin also had a sight of goal but, after latching on to Hojbjerg’s through ball, he tried to round Begovic and dribbled the ball out of play.

Bournemouth, looking to extend their unbeaten home run to six league games, could have been ahead within a minute of the restart when King glanced narrowly wide from Jefferson Lerma’s whipped cross.

Saints’ hopes of breaking the deadlock seemed to rely entirely on impressive Denmark international Hojbjerg and he was again thwarted by Begovic after unleashing a powerful volley which was tipped over.

The hosts finally mustered a goal-bound effort with 18 minutes remaining when Nathan Ake’s header from a Fraser corner was comfortably caught by Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Saints ended the game strongly and went close to a breakthrough on three occasions.

Shane Long saw a thumping shot from a tight angle blocked bravely by Begovic, before fellow substitute Stuart Armstrong missed his kick from close range after the ball fell to him in the box.

Italian striker Gabbiadini, the third player introduced from the bench by manager Hughes, had a golden opportunity to win it in stoppage time but he headed over with the goal gaping following Nathan Redmond’s cross.