Southampton’s record-breaking unbeaten run is over but promotion fight goes on

On Tuesday night, Southampton lost away to Bristol City 3-1, ending their 25-match unbeaten run in all competitions – 22 in the league. Their undefeated run spanned 136 days and saw the Saints move from 15th in the Championship to 2nd, setting a new club-record along the way.

Ultimately, it was a poor performance from Russell Martin’s side that cost them on the night, as they saw passes go awry and created very little going forward. On the other hand, the Robins were flying; they had looked threatening all game, and in the second half they capitalised on their chances clinically, sinking the spirits of Saints players and fans alike.

But as much as the loss of the game and the streak hurts for the Red and White Army now, there is no doubt that this has revitalised the belief and love the fans have for the club. Coming off the back of the four losses prior to this run, a lot of Saints fans were doubting the manager and his tactics, with some even calling for the sack early on.

In almost any other season, they’d probably be outright leaders or runners-up by now

Martin implored with the supporters that it would take patience for his style of football to be implemented. And now, Southampton are playing the best style of football the South Coast has seen in years. Intricate passes, free-flowing sequences and some beautiful goals to match have all been on display throughout their unbeaten run. So, excluding this bump in the road, these tactics seem to be working for the players, and the supporters have finally understood Russell’s vision; the future looks so much brighter for all involved at the club.

But arguably the most important part of this streak has been the climb Southampton have made up the league table. Picking up points everywhere they went, be it through evenly-fought matches, emphatic victories or late ‘smash-and-grabs’, Southampton got back into the forefront of the promotion picture which they were expected to be in throughout the season.

Next up for Saints is a trip to the Hawthorns to face West Brom

And almost any other season, they’d probably be outright leaders or runners-up by now. However, with the abundance of quality in this fight for promotion, Leicester seem to have already run away with it, while Leeds and Ipswich are still both in contention for that coveted second automatic promotion spot.

So, where do Southampton go from here? Well currently, Leeds are in second, two points above the Saints, while Ipswich sit in fourth, four points behind Russell Martin’s side, with a game in hand. However, Saints have a game in hand on Leeds too, leaving the ball very much in Southampton’s court to gain an advantage over their promotion rivals. But right now, it seems that these three clubs and their fans have a nail-biting few months ahead.

Next up for Saints is a trip to the Hawthorns to face West Brom on Friday night. Russell Martin and his squad will want to bounce back as quickly as possible to avoid falling behind any further, but they have looked weaker away from home over this unbeaten streak, winning just 50% of their games on the road (W6, D6), compared to winning 92% of their games at home during their run (W12, D1). Additionally, the Baggies have the 3rd best home form in the league, making this look like a tough fixture for the Saints on paper.