Report: Southampton 3-1 Leeds United
Defeat at St Mary's Stadium.
Sky Bet Championship
Southampton 3 (A Armstrong 2' 35', Smallbone 31')
Leeds United 1 (Struijk 58')
Leeds: Meslier (GK), Ampadu, Cooper (C), Piroe, Kamara (Gray 73'), Summerville (Anthony 73'), Shackleton, James (Bamford 81'), Struijk, Rutter, Byram. Subs not used: Darlow (GK), Ayling, Rodon, Poveda, Gelhardt, Gruev.
Southampton: Bazunu (GK), Walker-Peters, Manning, Downes, A. Armstrong (C) (Aribo 85'), Smallbone (Charles 69'), S. Armstrong (Bree 85'), Sulemana (Fraser 59'), Harwood-Bellis, Alcaraz (Adams 69'), Bednarek. Subs not used: McCarthy (GK), Holgate, Mara, Edozie.
Venue: St Mary's Stadium
Attendance: 30,372
Referee: John Brooks
Booked: A. Armstrong, Smallbone, Bednarek, Charles (Southampton) Kamara, Cooper (Leeds)
Leeds United suffered just a second league defeat of the season as Adam Armstrong scored a brace at St Mary’s to give Southampton a 3-1 victory.
The hosts made a dream start, when inside two minutes Armstrong beat the offside trap and found the back of the net, with a neat chip from a narrow angle.
Will Smallbone nearly doubled the lead seven minutes later, when Illan Meslier spilled a cross from a corner, but he fired over from close range.
In the 15th minute, Georginio Rutter almost scored a superb solo goal, he cut inside from the left flank, before striking from 25 yards, forcing Gavin Bazunu into a fine stop.
Glen Kamara teed up Sam Byram in a good position in the Southampton box, but he could only slice his effort wide.
Southampton doubled the lead in the 31st minute, Kamaldeen Sulemana reached the byline and his cut-back was converted by Will Smallbone.
Things went from bad to worse for Leeds four minutes later. Sulemana found Armstrong in the box and he turned past Sam Byram to make room for a shot from a narrow angle and his effort found ht back of the net for the second time in the match.
Carlos Alcarez almost added a fourth with a header on the break for the hosts, before Crysencio Summerville saw a shot deflect wide, as the Whites went in behind by a big deficit at the break.
Half time: Southampton 3-0 Leeds United
Daniel Farke made no changes at the break and Leeds pulled a goal back 13 minutes into the second period. From a corner Southampton failed to clear, Pascal Struijk bought the ball down superbly, before striking into the bottom left corner.
Daniel James then forced Bazunu into a save with a strike from the edge of the box, before he was played forwards by Ethan Ampadu and drove into the box, before firing just wide.
Leeds substitute Jaidon Anthony created a good opportunity when he delivered a dangerous cross from the left, Georginio then teed up Joel Piroe, but he could only shoot straight at Gavin Bazunu.
With nine minutes of regular time remaining, Armstrong, looking for his hat-trick, drove forwards and into he Leeds box, forcing Meslier into a decent stop.
Leeds continued to press in search of another goal and nearly found one following a corner, Georginio worked his way into the box from the left flank, forcing Bazunu into action from a narrow angle.
The Whites continued to press, but hosts saw out the final five minutes of injury time to secure the three points.
Full time: Southampton 3-1 Leeds United
