When it comes to goals, Graziano Pelle’s recent record for Saints does not make great reading.

Since scoring nine times in his first 12 league and cup matches for the club, the striker has netted just three in his last 19.

It is a problem, no doubt, as Saints edge towards the run-in.

But, while goals will always be what Pelle is judged on the most, his lack of them over the past few months does not truly tell the story of his effectiveness.

The Italian remains integral to the way Ronald Koeman’s team plays, and has been a huge figure in some of their biggest results recently.

Sadio Mane’s goal in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea in late December would not have been possible without Pelle producing a fine pass with his chest to Dusan Tadic, allowing the Serbian to play the killer through ball.

Similarly, in the 2-1 win at Newcastle last month, Pelle displayed immense strength to hold off a defender and cushion a ball down for James Ward-Prowse to play in Eljero Elia for the opening goal.

Pelle’s physicality and ability to hold the ball and link up play also proved enormously valuable in the wins over Arsenal and Manchester United.

But why have the goals dried up?

Partly it is perhaps down to a slight shift in how Saints play.

With the addition of Eljero Elia to the side, there has been a greater emphasis on him and Sadio Mane using their pace to run beyond opposition defences.

Pelle has appeared to often drop slightly deeper to support that, with the others playing off him.

That means rather than waiting in a central position for a goal-scoring opportunity, he is often working harder in different areas of the pitch.

It has been largely effective, meaning that, even without the level of production he showed early in the season, Saints’ form has not really dropped.

He might not have scored for eight league games, but Saints have still won five of them, drawn two and lost just once.

But there seems little doubt that Pelle’s lack of goals has affected his confidence slightly, as perhaps evidenced by how he snatched at a couple of chances in last week’s 0-0 draw with West Ham.

His five shots in that game at least represented one more than he had managed in total during his previous three matches and hopefully his next strike can spark a run of goals for him.

Whatever the case, though, it should not be under-estimated how important he remains to the side.