View From A Blue

Hart - One comfortable stop, parrying wide to deny Puncheon, and looked commanding when the ball was hoofed into his area but barely tested – 6 Zabaleta - A customary early booking but that didn’t diminish his eagerness to tackle and he was a bundle of energy down the right. Forged an effective relationship with Milner, powering down the [...]

Objective achieved. Attention may have been elsewhere, focused on the staggering and hugely enjoyable struggles of our neighbours this season, but we produced an efficient display to ease to victory and secure the three points as we battle to maintain the pressure on Liverpool at the top of the table. Our hopes of reclaiming the [...]

Hart - Made one excellent stop in the second half from Colback but beaten far too easily at his near post for Sunderland’s second goal - 6 Zabaleta - Borini stuck close to him and that meant he struggled to get forward as much as usual. A couple of naïve defensive challenges but battled manfully down the right - 6 Kompany [...]

Hart - His positioning could be questioned for the first goal when he came off his line but was then caught flat-footed and was bypassed easily by Sterling. Made one flying stop to deny a Gerrard header but despite Liverpool’s vibrancy in the first half, it didn’t feel like he was called into action too often - 6 Zabaleta - [...]

Hart - For all of Southampton’s elegance in the first half and the way in which their midfield’s effervescence allowed them to control the game, they didn’t actually force Hart into action. Rickie Lambert’s penalty was their only shot on target. When we needed our ‘keeper, however, his punching was strong - 6 Zabaleta - Such a timid [...]