Tadic double gives Saints lift-off
Print Edition
Dusan Tadic’s brace gave Southampton’s stuttering English Premier League campaign lift-off with a comfortable 3-0 victory over promoted Norwich City at St Mary’s yesterday.
After Graziano Pelle poked Southampton ahead in the 45th minute Tadic took over with an impressive display, scoring quick-fire goals midway through the second half to give the south-coast club its first victory of the season.
Norwich defender Steven Whittaker was dismissed having received two yellow cards within four first-half minutes for professional fouls.
“It’s always important to get the first win out of the way,” Southampton captain Jose Fonte told Sky Sports.
“We haven’t had the start we wanted in the league or European competitions but the most important thing today was getting back to winning games.
“We have massive responsibility now we are seen as a good team so we need to win and that’s the mentality we have to implant in every game.”
The surprise packages of last season having finished seventh, the Saints had been out-of-sorts, taking just two points from three games and failing to score since the opening day.
Yesterday’s first half was a microcosm of Southampton’s season, plenty of possession and chances but a lack of killer instinct in front of goal.
James Ward-Prowse, Fonte, Pelle and the impressive Sadio Mane all went close in a dominant yet fruitless opening 20 minutes for the hosts.
Having weathered the early storm Norwich grew into the game and Cameron Jerome headed a glaring opportunity narrowly wide from point-blank range.
Whittaker, however, undermined the team’s efforts after his dismissal with a block on Matt Targett followed 187 seconds later by a tug on the shirt of Tadic.
The hosts took advantage of their numerical advantage with Pelle beating Russel Martin to convert Mane’s cross just before halftime before Tadic’s brace.
Victory moved Southampton up to 10th with five points while Norwich sits one point adrift in 14th.
Manchester United was visiting Swansea City in the day’s late match.
On Saturday, Manchester City maintained its perfect start to the season with a 2-0 victory over promoted Watford as champion Chelsea suffered a shock 1-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace.
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