Southampton were inches away from their first Premier League win of the season, but a 95th-minute deflected strike from Sam Morsy found its way into Aaron Ramsdale’s top corner.
Russell Martin had to settle for a single point as Southampton drew against fellow newly-promoted Ipswich Town, earning their first point of the season at St Mary’s.
Southampton had a dream start when 18-year-old Tyler Dibling scored his first senior goal just five minutes into the match, assisted by veteran Adam Lallana, who delivered a perfect through ball. Despite this early lead, Southampton missed opportunities to secure the win, with Cameron Archer missing crucial chances. Ipswich’s late pressure eventually paid off, as Sam Morsy’s deflected strike found the net in stoppage time.
Aaron Ramsdale, Southampton’s £25 million Deadline Day signing, played a key role in keeping the game close, making several important saves to deny Ipswich’s Sammie Szmodics and George Hirst. His impressive performance earned him an eight out of ten rating from the Daily Echo. However, concerns arose about Ramsdale’s distribution, with the goalkeeper completing just 53% of his passes, according to Sofascore. This could be problematic for Martin’s possession-based style, which relies heavily on the goalkeeper’s ability to play out from the back.
Despite his excellent shot-stopping, Ramsdale is still adjusting to Martin’s tactics. Against Ipswich, he made five saves and swept the ball effectively twice but struggled with his long ball accuracy, completing just five of 19 attempts. Given that a significant portion of Southampton’s summer budget was spent on Ramsdale, improving his distribution will be crucial if Martin’s approach is to succeed in the coming weeks.