First half Bournemouth blitz sees off Saints

Bournemouth had won once in their previous nine matches but they were a class above

Bournemouth's Francisco Evanilson celebrates scoring his side's first goal against Southampton. Picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire.

Few doubted the high difficulty facing Russell Martin at Southampton this season. This lesson in south-coast superiority only confirmed that. If Saints’ manager has credit in the bank, his team’s inability to learn from mistakes is beginning to bite.

The best that can be said for Saints is that there may be safety in numbers. This was the last chance for the promoted teams to pick up a win from the first six Premier League rounds.