A pair of goals helped Southampton secure a win against South-coast rivals AFC Bournemouth at St Mary’s Stadium this morning.
An early showing from the host saw them score two goals in the opening 30 minutes of play through Steven Davis and Graziano Pelle, but were effectively pegged back by a resurgent Bournemouth side in the second-half. After the Cherries’ best efforts, Southampton were still able to maintain their lead despite losing Victor Wanyama with 10 minutes remaining.
The result means that Bournemouth have slumped to their third straight league defeat and have only taken a single point from their last five encounters. The Saints on the other hand, will use the three points to maintain stable footing in seventh place- four points behind Manchester United in fourth.
Harry Arter’s long awaited return
Arguably Bournemouth’s best player against Southampton, the unorthodox midfielder seemed his former-self after returning from a bout of repetitive groin injuries. A regular starter for Howe during the team’s push for promotion, he scored nine goals and claimed three assists from a deep-lying midfield role, despite often played in a defensive position. The box-to-box movement of Harry Arter is undoubtedly a major component of Howe’s attacking philosophy.
One of few internationals at the manager’s disposal, Arter brings with him a knack for hitting his mark with passes and a dribbling style that would be comical if it was not so effective.
His midfield counterpart Andrew Surman came out midweek stating that – “you want good players playing and fit. I really enjoyed playing with [Arter] and whoever does in the next few games, he’ll be a great asset to have back, like a new signing.”
Surman, Arter and Dan Gosling will likely man the Bournemouth engine room for the foreseeable future, with Howe left very few alternatives.
It is not to say that Arter can solely turn The Cherries season around, but he will come back into a injury-stricken side and no doubt play a pivotal part in their efforts to stay up.
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