Sofiane Boufal scored a sensational goal to earn Southampton all three points at St Mary’s.
The former Lille man struck with just five minutes left on the clock after Dusan Tadic and Shane Long had missed good opportunities for the hosts.
Below are four talking points from the game.
1. Could this be the moment which helps Boufal kick on?
There is no doubt that Boufal is an extremely talented footballer, but he has not enjoyed the best of times since swapping Ligue 1 for the Premier League in the summer of 2016. The Morocco international was plagued by injury and inconsistency in his debut campaign at Southampton, starting just 12 top-flight games as he failed to nail down a place in Claude Puel's favoured XI.
It has been a familiar tale this time around, with Boufal's only start of the season so far coming in September’s 2-0 home defeat by Watford.
Perhaps his goal here, a neat finish just inside the West Brom box after a tremendous dribble from his own half of the field, will help Boufal to belatedly kick-start his Southampton career.
2. West Brom offer little going forward
When you appoint Tony Pulis as your club’s manager, you know what you are going to get. The Welshman’s sides are always defensively solid and a threat from set-pieces, but there is rarely any attacking ambition on display – particularly away from home.
The positives are clear: Pulis is as close to a guarantee of survival as possible, having kept Stoke City, Crystal palace and West Brom clear of the drop zone since his arrival in the top flight in 2008. Yet on the whole, entertainment tends to be in short supply.
This performance was evidence of that, as the Baggies struggled to mount a sustained attacking threat at St Mary’s. Nominal wide forwards Jay Rodriguez and Nacer Chadli spent much of the evening as part of a back six, with West Brom camped back inside their own half of the field for long periods.
There were very few counter-attacks from the visitors in the first half, and although Rodriguez did miss a one-on-one after the break, Pulis’ side – as is typical – prioritised defensive security on Saturday. In the end, they were undone by Boufal’s brilliance.
3. Pellegrino trials 4-4-2 diamond
Southampton employed a 4-4-2 last weekend against Newcastle United, with Nathan Redmond wide on the right, Tadic on the left and Long partnering Manolo Gabbiadini up top. Mauricio Pellegrino, who has generally preferred a 4-2-3-1 formation this term, may have felt his team were a little too open against Rafael Benitez’s men, though, and duly switched to a midfield diamond here.
That saw Steven Davis replace Redmond in the starting XI, with Tadic at the tip of the quartet, Oriol Romeu at the base, and Davis and Mario Lemina utilised as the two shuttlers on either side. Saints did create opportunities in the opening period, the most gilt-edged of which was missed by Long after a counter-attacking burst from Gabbiadini, while Tadic was also guilty of wastefulness either side of half-time.
Boufal ensured this was not a fifth Premier League game without a goal for Southampton this season, but it remains to be seen whether the 4-4-2 diamond is a viable long-term option for Pellegrino.
4. Rodriguez fails to impress against former clubs
Rodriguez made a bright start to the season following his move from Southampton to West Brom in the summer, but he has now only scored once in nine games.
For the reasons outlined above, Pulis' West Brom are unlikely to create a host of clear-cut chances on their travels, which makes it imperative for them to take advantage of the opportunities that do come their way.
Unfortunately for the West Midlanders, Rodriguez was unable to do that. He did well to stay onside when darting in behind and getting on the end of Krychowiak's hooked pass, but the connection on his finish was poor and the ball drifted harmlessly wide.
Rodriguez fulfilled his defensive duties diligently and deserves credit for doing so, but this could have been a much more enjoyable return to St Mary's had he buried his team's most presentable opening.
