HOPES of a bounceback from a 5-0 hammering at Sunderland came crashing down to Earth as Leicester City served Saints a 4-1 defeat in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

Russell Martin’s side self-destructed to gift Jamie Vardy and Kasey McAteer goals in the 1st and 18th minutes before Sam Edozie pulled one back at St Mary’s.

However, just before going into the half-time break, Wilfried Ndidi put the Foxes firmly in the driving seat and Stephy Mavididi finished it in the second half.

Kamaldeen Sulemana was sent off deep in added time for an innocuous challenge to make matters worse. 

It was a clash of the Championship’s top two passing teams but Saints probably made more mistakes in possession than they had put together in the previous five league fixtures.

It means Saints have conceded 16 goals from their opening six matches of the campaign, already recording a -5 goal difference despite picking up 10 points.

Che Adams returned from the international break fit and firing and was chucked straight back into the fold by manager Russell Martin.

It was an exciting team with a young centre-back pairing of Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Shea Charles; neither of him started in the 5-0 demolition at Saints.

One change was enforced with Jan Bednarek absent through injury, while loanee Mason Holgate was asked to watch on from the bench.

Jannik Vestergaard was playing for Saints during the infamous 9-0 defeat at St Mary’s in October 2019 but instead ran out for the Foxes after an August 2021 move.

The first 20 minutes of this one would have invoked memories of that Friday night clash with Saints a goal down after just 21 seconds.

From their own kick-off, Shea Charles was picked off in a wing position and Leicester played into the box before Vardy capitalised on a soft flicked clearance from Flynn Downes.

The goal followed a large disturbance in the Itchen, with Leicester fans attempting to surge the home end following reported offensive chanting during a minute’s silence.

Saints were still reeling when Will Smallbone’s short pass on the byline was at least two feet behind Kyle Walker-Peters and gifted Leicester another chance to break into the box.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s angled low ball into the box went through debutant Harwood-Bellis for Kasey McAteer to power beyond Gavin Bazunu in the 18th minute.

The Republic of Ireland international in net had totalled four good saves by the end of the first half as he kept Saints in it.

There were chances for the home side as Che Adams fluffed his lines in front of goal as Smallbone won possession back in the box with Mads Hermansen stranded.

The Scot did slip Edozie through excellently, when he could have shot, to pull one back after Ryan Fraser had knocked down and battled for Bazunu’s long ball with 20 minutes of the half still to play.

Southampton’s sloppy passing and ghostly defending continued and they were lucky it was not four – despite Ndidi finishing with two Saints defenders sliding in during added time.

Stephy Mavididi, who set the Nigerian up, had sliced a clear chance in front of goal just minutes prior. For Saints and Martin, though, they had enough problems regardless.

There were murmurs of Edozie taking a knock as he made way for Kamaldeen, who did look dangerous, at half-time, while Downes was forced off by injury shortly following the restart.

Seconds after Adam Armstrong blazed over a golden chance at one end, Mavididi poked wide from a two-on-one that should finished the tie as a contest on the hour mark.

It came eventually and it was another gift. Having given the ball away from an offensive corner, Mavididi ran into a Saints half with not a single opposition outfield player to contend with before beating Bazunu.

Leicester's fans serenaded their team as they saw out the remaining 20 minutes in complete comfort, while substitute Kelechi Iheanacho should have added a fifth in added time and Kamaldeen saw red - leaving Martin seething with the officials. 

Saints: Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Charles, Harwood-Bellis, Manning; Downes (Alcaraz, 48), Smallbone, A Armstrong; Fraser (S Armstrong, 67), Edozie (Kamaldeen, h-t), Adams (Aribo, 78).

Unused subs: McCarthy, Holgate, Bree, Amo-Ameyaw, Mara.

Booked: Smallbone, Manning.

Leicester City: Hermansen; Justin, Doyle, Winks (Choudhury, 83), Vardy (Iheanacho, 83), Mavididi, Pereira, Dewsbury-Hall (Akgun, 83), Vestergaard, Ndidi (Casadei, 57), McAteer (Fatawu, 70)

Unused subs: Stolarczyk, Faes, Coady, Daka.

Booked: Dewsbury-Hall, Winks, Fatawu

Referee: Robert Madley.

Goals:

Jamie Vardy 1’

Kasey McAteer 18’

Sam Edozie 25’

Wilfried Ndidi 45+’

Stephy Mavididi 67’