Russell Martin believes Southampton’s heavy defeat at Sunderland is evidence that his side have not yet shaken off the hangover of last season’s relegation from the Premier League.
Saints suffered their first defeat of the Championship campaign as they were hammered 5-0 by the brilliant Black Cats at the Stadium of Light.
Martin’s side endured a horror start, going behind to Jack Clarke’s opener after just 52 seconds before Pierre Ekwah added a second for the hosts six minutes later.
Southampton then attempted to get some control of the game but conceded a third on the stroke of half-time, when former West Ham midfielder Ekwah hit his second.
Bradley Dack added a fourth immediately after the restart before 16-year-old substitute Chris Rigg rounded off the rout deep in stoppage time.
Martin said: “I feel really sorry for the supporters that came, they were amazing right to the end and we have to make sure this is the toughest day we have and we have to learn from that.
“Initially it’s really difficult to analyse because I’ll have to watch it back, but when you concede two goals early it completely changes the complex of the game.
“The one thing we spoke about is starting well. It’s a young team at Sunderland and when the wind is in their sails they’re very good but when they have a difficult start they can then find it tough to get the game back
“But the game just went for them. They had momentum after their start, brilliant momentum and we didn’t have enough of that.
“Everything they did well – they fought, they came out on top of duels, they worked so hard – we didn’t, we went in self-preservation mode, which I think is still a hangover from last season.
“It’s the first defeat but the manner of it really hurts.”
The win extended Sunderland’s unbeaten run to three games and Tony Mowbray was delighted after what he says has been a “tough week” off the pitch due to transfer speculation surrounding a number of his players.
The Black Cats lost Ross Stewart to Southampton on deadline day but also had interest in a number of other key players, including Ekwah, Clarke, Patrick Roberts and Dan Neil – who all stayed at the Stadium of Light.
Mowbray said: “The result is important for the team and the spirit.
“It’s been a tough week in the build-up to it in terms of speculation around a lot of our players. In training yesterday, there were rumours about certain clubs looking at certain players and it disrupts young footballers.
“I can see them talking to each other, and yet they showed great professionalism today. We all turned up and did what we hoped we could do.
“I’m happy with the day and happy for the fans. On paper this is a really difficult game. I looked at their squad on the back of the programme and just saw name after name after name of really experienced high quality footballer.”
Sunderland made four deadline-day additions, including the loan signing of Chelsea forward Mason Burstow.
Mowbray said: “We have some extra attacking players now and they might watch that game today thinking how do they get in that team, but that’s OK because competition drives all footballers.”
Failed England experiment does not change anything, says Carsley
Interim boss Lee Carsley insists the failure of his false-nine experiment in England's 2-1 Nations League defeat to Greece will not have any bearing on his future in the role.
Carsley missed the chance to become the first Three Lions boss to win his first three competitive games at the helm since Fabio Capello on Thursday, as Greece left Wembley with a stunning victory.
Vangelis Pavlidis scored twice – including a dramatic 94th-minute winner – as Greece went top of Nations League Group B2 with their first competitive victory over the Three Lions.
With captain Harry Kane sidelined by injury, England lined up with no recognised striker, with Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer interchanging in a fluid system.
England's 12 shots only added up to 0.86 expected goals (xG), with Bellingham's 87th-minute equaliser their only shot on target in the second half.
"We were second best for a lot of tonight, it is disappointing. You are going to get setbacks, and it's important that we respond," Carsley told ITV Sport after the defeat.
Only Anthony Gordon (five) managed more than four touches in the Greece area for England, with Bellingham, Foden and Palmer only recording one shot inside the box between them.
Carsley, who has been placed in interim charge through to the end of next month's final Nations League fixtures, is choosing to view the defeat as part of a learning curve.
"We tried something different and tried to overload the midfield. We tried it for 20 minutes, we experimented, and we're disappointed it didn't come off," he said.
"It's unrealistic to expect too much, and we will have to try again. All the goals were from mistakes, which is disappointing.
"It is definitely an option going forward. When you have someone of Kane's quality, though, it rules it out when he is available.
"But in the future, you have to have the courage and ability to try things. We tried something different. It doesn't change anything. My remit is to do the three camps."
Australia 3-1 China: Goodwin a hometown hero in Adelaide
Craig Goodwin scored a stunner and set up Australia's equaliser as they beat China 3-1 in Tony Popovic's first game in charge.
Popovic replaced Graham Arnold in September and, despite seeing his team fall behind in Thursday's World Cup qualifier, was ultimately able to celebrate a convincing win.
Goodwin was playing in front of a hometown crowd in Adelaide and smashed in a long-range, left-footed strike to put Australia in front in the 53rd minute.
The 32-year-old had earlier crossed in for Lewis Miller to head home on the stroke of half-time.
Miller's goal cancelled out Xie Wenneng's 20th-minute opener for China.
Substitute Nishan Velupillay completed the scoring late on, marking his debut in style just nine minutes after coming on.
Data Debrief: Goodwin gets Australia going
Goodwin has had 12 shots at goal and created 27 scoring chances for Australia in 2024 – the only Socceroos player to have logged 10+ in both categories.
Australia won from behind in World Cup qualifying for the first time since beating Syria in 2017, as they snapped a two-match scoreless run.
China, meanwhile, have lost their last four matches, conceding 13 goals in that run. They last lost four straight games in 2003.
Layzell enjoys dream Women's Champions League debut as Man City stun holders Barcelona
Naomi Layzell enjoyed a dream Women's Champions League debut as her goal and assist helped Manchester City stun holders Barcelona 2-0 on Wednesday.
Layzell was playing her football in the Women's Super League last season with relegated Bristol City, but was the star of the show at the Joie Stadium.
City were making their first appearance in the competition since falling to a 4-2 quarter-final loss to the Catalan side in March 2021, and exacted their revenge with a plucky display.
The hosts, however, almost found themselves a goal behind with just three minutes on the clock when Caroline Hansen took aim and saw her effort cannon off the post, shortly before Lauren Hemp struck the woodwork with a strike of her own.
City grew into the contest and almost got the goal their performance merited in the 35th minute when Vivianne Miedema teed up Khadija Shaw, only to see her effort saved by Cata Coll.
But from the resulting corner, Gareth Taylor's side got their noses in front as Miedema brilliantly headed the ball back into the danger area, with Layzell sliding in to mark her Champions League debut with a goal.
Barcelona had only failed to score once in their past 79 games heading into the encounter, and improved after the interval in their search for an equaliser.
Aitana Bonmati forced Ayaka Yamashita into making a smart save down to her right, with substitute Claudia Pina going close from distance as City were forced to withstand a relentless wave of pressure from the defending champions.
But the hosts landed a sucker punch in the 77th minute on the counter, with Layzell turning provider for Shaw, with the striker riding the challenge of Patri Guijarro before rounding Coll to seal a memorable triumph for City.
The Citizens ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.68 compared to Barca's 1.5, despite having four fewer shots than their opponents.
Taylor's side sit level on points with Hammarby in Group D, after the Swedish side beat Austria's St. Polten 2-0 earlier on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, in Group C, Juventus edged out Norwegian side Valerenga to kickstart their campaign with a victory at the Intility Arena.
Sofia Cantore's 29th minute strike proved to be the difference, with the Italian curling a fine right-footed effort beyond the grasp of Tove Enblom against the run of play.
Juventus continued to struggle throughout the contest, with Valerenga registering 25 shots, with six of those on target, ending with an xG total of 2.2.
Massimiliano Canzi's side go level with Bayern Munich at the top of the Group C following the German side's 5-2 thumping of Arsenal.
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