Russell Martin hopes Southampton can kick their Sky Bet Championship campaign on again after putting a bad run of form behind them with a 1-0 win over Stoke.

Stuart Armstrong’s first-half free-kick proved the difference at the bet365 Stadium as Saints secured back-to-back victories, while the Potters slipped to their fifth loss in seven Championship games.

The victory in the Potteries followed a 3-1 triumph versus Leeds last Saturday and the successive wins came after a four-game losing run, with Martin hoping their toughest moment of the season has been and gone.

“I think it’s been two of our best performances, tonight I think was probably our best one, our most complete one,” he said.

“I feel like we should have scored a couple more goals and we limited them to very little really, although they threw everything at us in the end.

“To follow up the effort it took on Saturday to come here and such a tough place, a good team with a really excellent manager, to come here and do what we did, I’m really proud of the boys.

“They’re playing for each other, they’re playing for us and the last two games will hopefully come at the end of the toughest moment we’ll have together.

“I think every team has a tough period and ours has come early on after a good start and playing against a really difficult fixture schedule.

“We found a bit of rhythm now and hopefully we can maintain that.”

Alex Neil, while proud of Stoke’s efforts, voiced frustration at key refereeing decisions including Josh Laurent’s foul on Armstrong for the winning free-kick and Nathan Lowe being bundled over by Jan Bednarek after the break which he felt was a penalty.

He said: “I think all you ever ask your team to do and individual players is to give everything they’ve got and I thought we got that.

“I don’t think we can have any complaints in terms of the efforts of the players.

“We got undone by one moment of quality where the ball ends up in the top corner.

“I think certainly if you look at the foul that they get for their goal and you look at the foul in the box, if you’re going to compare both in terms of contact.

“I think if you look at the two directives at the start of the season, one was based around soft contact for fouls and not buying into soft contact, which I thought for the first foul was really soft, and the other was was timewasting, and I didn’t think any of the directives this evening were carried out well enough in terms of the game at all.”

Southampton manager Russell Martin insists Leicester should be criticised as much as his side despite winning 4-1 at St Mary’s.

Saints conceded after 21 seconds to a thumping Jamie Vardy finish before Kasey McAteer, Wilfred Ndidi and Stephy Mavididi also netted as the Foxes ran riot.

But Martin, who saw Sam Edozie pull one back and Kamaldeen Sulemana sent off late on, thinks the result did not reflect the two sides’ performances.

He said: “It is a very different feeling to Sunderland (5-0 defeat). I am proud of the players, people will criticise me for saying that but they did what we asked of them.

“I take loads from that and it was a much better performance than Sunderland.

“If anyone expected there not to be any pain when it is such a big change then they are very naive.

“Leicester lost the ball as much as we did but they have come out on the right end of the scoreline so Enzo (Maresca) will not get criticised.

“I asked the players to go toe to toe with a really good team and I thought it was a very good game.

“We made life difficult for ourselves by conceding two early goals. They were really clinical and we weren’t. They took their chances and we didn’t.

“People can read what they want into it but if we took our chances it is a very different scoreline.

“It was a tough atmosphere which I understand because we were 2-0 down in 20 minutes.

“They have to do their best to shut that out. But the only way we can get them off our backs is to win games and make everyone feel positive.

“On Tuesday both the fans and the players have a choice about how to approach it. The supporters have the choice of coming to support or causing anxieties.

“They have been great since I’ve been here and I’d have been annoyed if we had started like we did and lost.”

Vardy’s opener, his first in the Championship this season after Mavididi’s fine pull back, was followed quickly by McAteer controlling and slotting in after Saints gave the ball away in midfield.

Edozie bagged his second of the campaign but Ndidi’s finish handed the Foxes back their two-goal advantage before the interval, with Mavididi getting the goal his performance deserved in the 67th minute.

Leicester manager Enzo Maresca said: “I am very happy. Winning the game is always important, it is never easy but the performance on and off the ball was very good.

“Sometimes like tonight we were a little more clinical and more clear in our decision-making.

“Since day one we have arrived quite well in the last third but we miss the right choices and aren’t patient, but tonight it worked better.

“We still need to improve and add new solutions. I don’t like basketball games. We know they want the same way of playing as us – keep the ball and try to win. So we knew we couldn’t control the game for 90 minutes.

“The way we worked off the ball, how aggressive we were, was the key point.

“Stephy is an important player for us but tonight was a good performance from all the players.”

Southampton manager Russell Martin was proud of his players for beating QPR 2-1 after another week of dealing with transfer disruption.

Adam Armstrong bagged his fourth goal of the season after Samuel Edozie and Jack Colback had cancelled each other’s strikes out in the first half.

Saints were without Che Adams – who is wanted by Everton – and Bayer Leverkusen-bound Nathan Tella after weeks of uncertainty around the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia.

“There has been so much change and disruption, so I am pleased with the mentality of the group,” Martin said.

“Che wasn’t in a place to give it everything he’s got. He and Nathan both played last week despite the noise but it has been a long week for both of them.

“The first half was no where near good enough but the subs were important and we persevered.

“I’m pleased we won, but I’m not happy with the amount of moments QPR had and how we reacted to scoring again.

“Armo comes up with a really good finish but I am frustrated with many aspects of the performance.”

Saints opened the scoring in the 30th minute when Ryan Manning squirted a perfect through ball for Edozie to cut onto his right foot and smash through Asmir, giving the former Manchester City youngster his first professional goal.

Less than three minutes later QPR were back level when Colback’s 20-yard hit and hope went in off the post.

Rangers hit the bar after the break but Armstrong picked up a pass from Manning to thump into the bottom corner with Saints’ only shot of the second half.

Armstrong had only scored four goals for Saints since arriving from Blackburn in 2021 before doubling his tally in four matches this season.

Martin said: “Armstrong has been amazing. He is a talented football but he listens to the detail and trusts in us here.

“I think he is enjoying himself and feels how much we value him, which is important for every player.

“There is also his work-rate. Like at the end of the game he makes two huge tackles at the end of the game, it is incredible.

“He is a top person and a top player and will score a lot for us this season.

“Adam has been judged for two years on something that didn’t really suit him.

“Now he has something that really suits him and is thriving.”

QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth was left to rue his side’s missed opportunities.

He said: “A £15million striker was the difference today. Armstrong has scored a lot of goals already this season and he got a chance and took it.

“But we really limited Southampton to hardly any chances and we were the aggressors with shots on target. We didn’t throw it away, we just didn’t convert our chances.

“These are things I can work on though, I can’t work on heart and desire but that is here now. The boys are emptying the tank.

“All teams are going to get dominated at Southampton this season, they are a Premier League outfit without a shadow of a doubt, but I can’t deny we didn’t deserve something from the game.

“I don’t think many teams will come here and out-shoot them here this season. Somehow we have come away with nothing.”

Southampton boss Russell Martin felt Che Adams’ stoppage-time winner against Plymouth was no coincidence after a “relentless” second-half showing from his side at Home Park.

The clash between last season’s League One champions Argyle and relegated Premier League side Saints looked set to end in a draw after Ryan Hardie quickly cancelled out Nathan Tella’s 49th-minute opener for the visitors.

But, with four minutes of added time played, Adams snatched victory for Southampton when he turned the ball home at the far post after Plymouth keeper Conor Hazard had palmed out Adam Armstrong’s goal-bound header from a corner.

Martin said: “The late goal is no coincidence, the amount of work we put into the opposition for games.

“The last half an hour, we were really impressive, really dominant.

“I really wasn’t happy with the first half; I told the players that at half-time and I think they feel the same way.

“We have to be really demanding, I said to them we will have a lot of good moments but there will be tough moments.”

One of those tough moments came just a minute before Adams’ late winner, when Plymouth forward Morgan Whittaker struck the post for the hosts.

Martin, whose side now have seven points from their opening three Championship games, added: “We had plenty of tough moments today in the first half and it was our doing and I was frustrated at that. But the way they responded at half-time, they were brilliant.

“The only downside was conceding a goal so soon after conceding. But the character to come back was impressive. Last season was such a disappointing season for everyone and the supporters as well. Their response to the goal we conceded was amazing.

“The players were relentless in the second half and that is what we need to be.

“We will learn as we are building.

“We will improve, there is a lot to improve on. I was really pleased with the mentality of the players, it has given us the belief, the connection with each other.”

Plymouth’s loss was the first in the Championship since winning promotion, having picked up four points from their opening two games.

Argyle boss Steven Schumacher believes his side can take confidence from their performance despite the late disappointment.

He said: “It was a good standard with some real high quality moments in the game from both teams.

“We played our part and probably edged the first half. The second half Southampton came into the game a little bit more.

“They had the huge spells of possession that we expected but all of the time I thought we were always in the game and to lose it like that right at the end of the game is a bit gutting, a bit of a sucker-punch but that’s football, it can be cruel sometimes.

“We still had five minutes to go so I thought we’d get one back. That’s been a trait of our team over the past couple of seasons. We never give in, we never sit back and accept defeat and we kept pushing with four minutes to go and had a couple of chances from set-plays.

“On another day one of them goes in but I can’t fault the lads’ effort. They gave us everything they had today.

“I felt we had the gameplan right and caused Southampton loads of problems.

“I don’t think we started the second half very well and they got momentum right from the kick off and then managed to score.

“But again the lads responded brilliantly and produced a lovely goal from a well-worked move and a great finish by Ryan and it shows once again we can compete at this level. We should grow in confidence from it.”

Southampton manager Russell Martin admitted his side were too nervous after being bailed out by a 97th-minute equaliser to draw 4-4 against Norwich.

Adam Armstrong smashed in the last-gasp penalty to end a thriller at St Mary’s – which had seen the Canaries lead three times.

But Martin, in his first appearance in the home dugout on the south coast, was frustrated with the hangover from Premier League relegation.

“It was a fair result for both teams,” admitted Martin. “I would have been really upset if we had lost and really gutted for the supporters and players.

“It was a good advertisement for the Championship. It was entertaining. I don’t think either keeper did much wrong – it is madness they both conceded four goals.

“It was a strange and crazy game and I hope we don’t have many like that.

“There were too many moments that we wouldn’t have wanted. We gave them too many moments.

“I’m angry and annoyed at conceding four goals but on the other hand I’m proud about the team’s character and being so dominant in some parts.

“We had 31 shots which is a lot so there is plenty to be proud of but still be annoyed.

“It is the first time back this season and after last year there was too much nervousness.”

There were five goals in a crazy first half, which included three goals in 344 seconds, starting with Josh Sargent’s back-post header in the seventh minute.

Southampton burst back into the match and led after Jan Bednarek collected a rebound to score his first goal since April 2022, and Armstrong converted his first penalty of the match after Shane Duffy’s handball.

Gabriel Sara and Jon Rowe both netted to give the visitors the advantage again, only for substitute Che Adams to rifle in a fine finish into the bottom corner.

Christian Fassnacht thought he had won it six minutes from time after capitalising on Ryan Manning’s miskick but Armstrong ended the helter-skelter match from the spot, after Kyle Walker-Peters had been shoved by Dimitris Giannoulis.

Norwich boss David Wagner said: “No [it wasn’t naive to concede a late penalty], under pressure and away from home those situations can happen. I thought the players worked really hard but there was a lack of concentration at the end of the game that must not happen.

“We weren’t super clinical but we still scored four goals!

“Today it was entertaining. I think you have seen two quality sides early in the season when both teams want a win. I am happy about how brave the players were but I’ve seen we have a lot of work to do.”

Russell Martin criticised his Southampton players for “feeling sorry for themselves” and entering “self-preservation mode” after a shock 3-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Gillingham.

Last season’s semi-finalists were stunned in the opening round of this year’s competition as Robbie McKenzie’s double and Ashley Nadesan’s early strike propelled Neil Harris’ League Two side to a memorable triumph on home soil.

Martin made 11 changes to the team that beat Sheffield Wednesday in the Saints’ Championship opener on Friday night and was unhappy with his second-string side’s attitude after a dismal night at Priestfield.

“It definitely wasn’t the result I was expecting, but the performance was more surprising,” he said.

“Tonight I just saw too much stuff I didn’t like, things we haven’t worked on, with people trying to write their own script.

“Players entered self-preservation mode – they were doing stuff they wanted to do.

“It was a case of ‘as long as I’m doing my own thing I’m OK’, but it shouldn’t be like that.

“Some people had too much pity, too much feeling sorry for themselves, and they’re probably the ones who don’t see their futures here in the next three weeks.

“I understand that, it’s difficult to deal with, but they should have showed off what they can do on the pitch.”

Gillingham went ahead after just 12 minutes when summer signing Nadesan slid in to poke Ethan Coleman’s cross past Alex McCarthy.

McKenzie stabbed home from close range six minutes after the break to double the hosts’ advantage before then capitalising on more lacklustre Southampton defending to net his second.

Substitute Carlos Alcaraz curled home a fine consolation goal late on but that did little to improve an otherwise miserable night for the south coast side in Kent.

Gills boss Harris said: “It couldn’t have gone any better. It’s a great result, and the performance was excellent.

“If anything, the win should have been by more than two goals.

“Southampton are a top side, even with the changes – I wanted to play on the front foot.

“We dominated the first 15 minutes, during which we could have scored more than one, and ultimately for 75 minutes we bossed it.

“The cup competitions aren’t the priority, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to win. We want to be competitive, we want 8,000 people to appreciate that, and we’ll do the same in the next round.”