When Southampton plays Middlesbrough, led by Michael Carrick, they will look to make it three straight Championship victories, but they also know that their opponent won’t just give in and let the Saints dominate.
Similar to Russell Martin’s team, Carrick’s Boro have also turned around their fortunes to put together a successful run of results. As a result, the Teesside team is once again dreaming of making the playoffs, sitting only five points outside of the coveted sixth spot.
In order to overwhelm the confident visitors, Martin may use the most explosive lineup possible. As a result, Flynn Downes may be left out of his manager’s starting lineup following a lackluster performance in the 4-2 victory over Sunderland.
Flynn Downes’ performance vs Sunderland in numbers
Downes has been a crucial piece in the Saints’ center of midfield this season as a cool-headed leader, therefore it would be shocking to see the West Ham United loanee benched for his team’s hard test today.
However, he might find his regular spot in the lineup up for grabs as Southampton has to blow teams away to truly prove to teams like Leeds United and Ipswich Town that they’re still chasing the top two spots.
Even though Southampton’s attackers were lining up for opportunities at moments to add to Sunderland’s suffering in the convincing 4-2 victory, the Saints number four would only win four of the nine duels that came his way last weekend. He would also only complete one important pass.
Stuart Armstrong, his midfield partner, on the other hand, managed three crucial passes and scored a goal of his own to help the team win.
Will Smallbone would also surpass Downes’ stats, recording two crucial passes in just 57 minutes on the St. Mary’s field.
However, Joe Rothwell, a second-half substitute, stole the show in the end by scoring a crucial brace in the middle of the field.
As a result, the loanee from AFC Bournemouth may replace Downes in the starting lineup for today’s home match against Boro.
Joe Rothwell’s statistical performance against Sunderland
After scoring a brace against Huddersfield Town in the middle of last month to lead the Saints to an exciting 5-3 triumph, Rothwell once again performed admirably as an impact substitute.
Once more, the loanee from the Cherries supplied the spark that Southampton needed as he scored two vital goals in just 17 minutes on the field and made three more essential passes than Downes (4 total).
| Rothwell’s numbers vs Sunderland | |
|---|---|
| Minutes played | 17 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Touches | 16 |
| Accurate passes | 9/10 (90%) |
| Key passes | 4 |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Stats by Sofascore | |
After the game, Rothwell’s manager praised him for his “amazing” performance, in which he scored a goal and created a big chance for his promotion-chasing team. However, Downes is concerned that Martin might really upend things by benching him for Carrick’s team’s visit.
After allowing five goals in their previous two games, Martin will want his Southampton team to stop being so sloppy in front of goal. Rothwell, who scored both of his shots against Mike Dodds’ Black Cats, is a prime example of this cutting edge.
If chosen from the start, the seasoned £8,000-per-week midfielder might prove to be the difference between Southampton and their Teesside rivals, with Downes likely to be reduced to a spectator.
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