- Norwegian stepped off the bench in cup clash
- Registered a rare blank at St Mary's
- Home support delighted in the Blues' struggles
WARNING: The following article contains language that some people may find offensive
WHAT HAPPENED? A shock 2-0 victory over the reigning Premier League champions has sent Southampton into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, with City failing to register a single shot on target across 90 uncharacteristically frustrating minutes at St Mary’s. Haaland was introduced by Pep Guardiola in the 56th minute in a bid to add some firepower to his side, but the prolific Norwegian – with 27 goals to his name this season – failed to find the back of the net for just the seventh time in the 2022-23 campaign as Saints supporters took great delight in comparing him to club icon Lambert.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Lambert, who scored 117 goals for Southampton through 235 appearances in a five-year spell on the south coast, posted on social media after being made aware of the Haaland jibes: “He’s still got time to improve!”
WHAT NEXT? Ex-England international Lambert, who left Southampton for Liverpool in 2014, has been able to see the funny side of Saints supporters poking fun at Haaland – with a cup run providing a welcome distraction at St Mary’s – but there is no escaping the fact that Nathan Jones’ side need to produce that level of performance on a more regular basis after hitting rock-bottom in the Premier League table.
