Southampton secured a 3-1 victory in the Sky Bet Championship, with Adam Armstrong notching his eighth goal of the season, adding to the misery of Wayne Rooney, who suffered his third consecutive defeat as Birmingham’s manager.
Armstrong, the forward, now boasts eight career goals against Birmingham, more than he has scored against any other team, sealing the match with a superb finish. He played a pivotal role in Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ opening goal, and Carlos Alcaraz, and Jay Stansfield scored the goals for the visitors.
Southampton dominated the early stages of the match without creating any clear-cut opportunities until Harwood-Bellis opened the scoring in the ninth minute.
Armstrong, alongside Stuart Armstrong and Adam Armstrong, executed a well-crafted short-corner routine. The latter then provided a cross for the Manchester City loanee to net his third professional goal, his first since last September.
Birmingham showed signs of resilience, with Oliver Burke’s shot into the side netting being their only attempt in the first half.
Kamaldeen Sulemana and Stuart Armstrong combined effectively on the left flank, with Alcaraz pushing the ball into the net.
Birmingham fans, supportive of their manager Wayne Rooney, chanted “Rooney, Rooney” and “Wayne Rooney’s Blue Army” despite the team’s struggles.
Although Birmingham should have been awarded a penalty when goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu collided with Burke in the box, the decision didn’t go their way.
Southampton could have entered the halftime with a more substantial lead, but Harwood-Bellis missed a free header from a corner, and Adam Armstrong failed to convert a one-on-one chance.
In the second half, Stuart Armstrong’s diving header narrowly missed the target. However, Birmingham made a comeback as Jay Stansfield scored within 52 seconds of coming off the bench, ending Southampton’s quest for a home clean sheet, extending their streak to 28 matches.
Nonetheless, Southampton secured the win in the 86th minute when top-scorer Adam Armstrong capitalized on Sam Edozie’s assist.
Scott Hogan sent a shot onto the roof of the net in stoppage time, but it couldn’t prevent Southampton from extending their unbeaten run to six games, solidifying their position in the playoff spots.
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