Ings looking up for Ralph
RALPH HASENHUTTL celebrated his first anniversary as Saints boss with a gift-wrapped win at St Mary’s.
The Austrian took over a year ago today with his team in 18th place before leading them to survival.
Last night his side started in the same position but added fresh impetus to their latest escape bid by making it consecutive victories for the first time since March.
Danny Ings and Ryan Bertrand netted first-half goals before Teemu Pukki set up a tense finish that nobody had seen coming.
Southampton are now above Everton, Norwich and Watford – one win away from 11th-placed Burnley.
The victory was worth even more against relegation rivals Norwich, who knocked the ball about nicely in the early exchanges but were badly exposed by two set-pieces.
Ings got in front of Ben Godfrey to head home his 10th of the season from a whipped free-kick from James WardProwse after 22 minutes.
At that stage, the pair had netted all of Southampton’s last 11
Premier League goals between them.
The extraordinary streak was ended two minutes before the break from another dead-ball delivery from Ward-Prowse.
His corner was flicked on by the recalled Shane Long and Bertrand ghosted in unmarked at the far post to volley home his first goal since August 2018.
Boss Daniel Farke had sent out an unchanged Norwich team from the Arsenal draw but he blamed his midfield for the first-half ineptitude.
The German withdrew Ibrahim Amadou and Tom Trybull at the break and replaced them with Marco Stiepermann and Alex Tettey.
And within 16 seconds Norwich had improved, with Pukki forcing Alex McCarthy into a one-handed save.
The Finn then beat the Saints keeper at the near post after 65 minutes for his eighth goal of the season.
Sam Byram scooped over their best chance to equalise in injury time.
Norwich boss Farke said: “We always have to be on our best level because in the first half it was not great from us.
“We said we had to stick to our principals, but conceded two goals from set-pieces.
“In the second half we went back to the our principals.”