Vydra produces ‘big moment’ as Burnley look towards Europe
The last time the weather was this bad at St Mary’s, Southampton suffered the worst defeat in their history. As Storm Dennis descended, the result – if not the scoreline – was the same as Sean Dyche cashed in an unused Czech.
Matej Vydra has not started a league game for Burnley this season, but the 27-year-old came off the bench to replace Chris Wood in the first half and scored a brilliant winner on the hour.
“You need big moments to win games sometimes, and that’s a big moment in a tight game,” Dyche said. “Vydra has stuck at it and when he walked into the dressing room the team were buzzing for him. There was a lot of talk in the window about him. Not from me, from everyone else. There’s massive respect for him from the group.”
Burnley’s third away win in five matches has lifted them into the top half of the league, 10 points clear of the relegation places. Dyche’s side can now begin looking up, rather than down, and are just three points off sixth place.
The first goal epitomised Southampton’s defending this season at St Mary’s, where they have shipped 30 goals and have the worst home record in the division – including the 9-0 humiliation by Leicester last October.
Burnley won a corner, swung into the near post by Ashley Westwood. It ought to have been a simple header to clear, but instead Danny Ings left the ball, Alex McCarthy was unaware and it went straight over the line without a touch.
Ings did atone for his error with an excellent equaliser after 18 minutes and the Southampton-born striker was one of the few pluses on a forgettable day for Ralph Hasenhuttl.
“In the away games, nobody expects anything of us and it’s easier to play like this,” Hasenhuttl said. “Maybe that’s why we perform better in away games. That cannot be an excuse in future. We must reach the level at home that we show away.”
Ings’s goal – after a clever one-two with Sofiane Boufal, which he finished expertly from the edge of the area – was his 18th of the season. It makes him the club’s highest scorer since their return to the top flight in 2012.
Before that goal and for a spell after, Southampton were much the better side. Boufal was excellent, drifting across the field behind Ings and Shane Long to cause problems for Burnley’s defenders.
He provided an excellent cross from which Jack Stephens headed against the crossbar, and it seemed just a matter of time until the home side took the lead. But Moroccan winger Boufal withdrew with a recurrence of the toe injury sustained when he kicked his kitchen table and, from that point on, Southampton never looked right.
“I’m not a manager who discusses conditions,” said Hasenhuttl of the weather. “They had a better second half and we had a better first half, when we had a few good chances. We know it is not easy to play football against this team, you never get the chance to win the ball early.”
Burnley had threatened little apart from their fortuitous opener, so it was a surprise when they took the lead. It was an incisive long pass from Jeff Hendrick, but Vydra deserves all the credit. The Czech controlled the ball superbly, stepped beyond Saints debutant Kyle Walker-Peters and fired into the top left corner of the goal.
Southampton have lost their past three games and are not yet safe from relegation. Questions remain over the futures of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Long and Hasenhuttl himself, none of whom has yet committed to a new contract. Hasenhuttl insists that those questions will not be answered until Premier League safety is assured.
Southampton will count themselves unlucky to have lost here. On the eve of the match, Hasenhuttl lost Nathan Redmond, who has been so influential in the Saints revival, to a muscular injury that could keep him out for two months. His replacement, Boufal, was excellent, but then he too was injured.
Late on, Southampton had strong claims for a penalty rejected as a Stephens cross was handled by Ben Mee. Both Simon Hooper and VAR said no. “You can discuss it. I don’t do it any more. I don’t see where the clear line is,” said Hasenhuttl.
Next up for Southampton is the visit of Aston Villa, while Burnley host Bournemouth. Win that and talk of Europe will begin in earnest. “The last time we got into the Europa we had the mentality of just concentrate on the next game. That’s all we’re doing, trying to win the next game,” Dyche said.