Southampton

As it transpired, the Saints repeated that finishing position this time around, and although they may be frustrated with their Premier League showing this term, Ralph Hasenhuttl's side enjoyed a run to the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look back at Southampton's 2021-22 campaign.

SEASON OVERVIEW

Final league position: 15th

EFL Cup: Fourth Round

FA Cup: Quarter-finals

Top scorer: James Ward-Prowse (10)

Most assists: James Ward-Prowse (8)

After losing Ings to Aston Villa last summer, there may have been an element of pessimism around St Mary's as they prepared to begin their tenth consecutive Premier League campaign.

Those low spirits may have been valid as the Saints began the season with a seven-game winless league run, leaving them just one point above the relegation zone with only four points to their name.

However, the mood certainly changed when the Saints won three of their next four matches, as Leeds United, Watford and Aston Villa were all dispatched via 1-0 scorelines.

After enjoying that four-game unbeaten streak, Southampton took their foot off the gas, and they were subsequently punished, failing to win any of their next six league games, leaving them in 15th place after 17 matches.

With a potential relegation battle staring them in the face, Hasenhuttl's charges offered a positive response on Boxing Day, as goals from Mohamed Elyounoussi, Ward-Prowse and Jan Bednarek guided the Saints to a 3-2 away victory against West Ham United, presenting Southampton with a timely Christmas gift.

The positive result over the Hammers sparked Southampton's season into life as they enjoyed an impressive run of results that saw them lose just once before a 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa at the beginning of March.

In fact, from mid-December until the end of February, the Saints accumulated 19 points from 10 league contests, with only four Premier League teams collecting more points in that period.

As a result of their fine form, the South Coast side moved into the top half of the table, and at the end of February, they occupied ninth place with 14 points separating them from the drop zone, while they were only seven points adrift of the top seven.

Unfortunately for the Southampton faithful, rather than pushing forward from their ninth place position, they watched on as their side fell away drastically, winning just one of their final 12 Premier League matches.

Their dramatic decline caused them to tumble down the table, leaving the Saints in 15th spot for the second season in a row.

Although they may have felt underwhelmed by their league campaign, Southampton enjoyed an impressive cup run, making it through three rounds of cup action - including two extra-time victories - before they were eliminated by Manchester City at the quarter-finals stage.

Meanwhile, their league cup campaign may have ended in the fourth round following a penalty shoot-out defeat by Chelsea, but they managed to achieve their biggest away win in their history after they thrashed Newport County 8-0 in the second round of the competition.

PREMIER LEAGUE STATS

Wins: 9 (17th)

Draws: 13 (4th)

Losses: 9 (16th)

Goals scored: 43 (14th)

Goals conceded: 67 (17th)

Yellow cards: 63 (11th)

Red cards: 2 (14th)

Passes: 15,288 (13th)

Shots: 482 (9th)

Big chances missed: 42 (7th)

Saves: 118 (9th)

Tackles: 602 (13th)

Own goals: 2 (10th)

Hit woodwork: 10 (14th)

Clearances: 761 (7th)

HOW DID IT COMPARE TO LAST SEASON?

Although they equalled last season's 15th place finish, Southampton fell three points short of their points total from the previous campaign.

Despite losing Ings, the Saints scored only four goals fewer this term, while their defensive record showed little signs of improvement as they shipped 67 goals compared to 68 in the 2020-21 season.

There was also not much change in regards to their home and away form, with their 19 league matches at St Mary's yielding two points fewer than last season, while the 2021-22 campaign resulted in one more away point.

Outside of the Premier League fixtures, Southampton improved in the league cup, reaching the fourth round this term compared to a second-round exit to Brentford last season.

Although they also enjoyed a promising run to the FA Cup quarter-final, their performance in England's premier cup competition was actually a step back from their semi-final exit to eventual winners Leicester City 12 months ago.

PLAYER OF THE SEASON - James Ward-Prowse

With 17 goals between them in all competitions, Chelsea loanee Armando Broja and Che Adams are notable mentions for the player of the season accolade, while right-back Toni Livramento also impressed in his 28 league games after arriving from Stamford Bridge last summer.

However, it is impossible to look past England international Ward-Prowse, who has continued to be an important cog in the Southampton machine.

Although five of his 11 goals this season came from the spot, the midfielder's strikes have been invaluable, while he also topped the charts for the Saints in assists.

The Southampton captain has led his team with his actions, having played more Premier League minutes than any other Saints player, making the most passes and leading with the most touches.

Out of 38 league games, the set-piece specialist featured in 36 of them, highlighting how crucial the 27-year-old has been to Hasenhutl's side.

STANDOUT RESULT

There were a number of games in the running for this award, with Southampton's season containing draws against the two Manchester clubs, a 1-0 home win over Arsenal, an 8-0 drubbing of Newport County, and an extra-time victory over Swansea City in the FA Cup after playing with 10 men for the majority of the contest.

However, the standout result of the season has to be the 3-2 away win against Tottenham Hotspur at the beginning of February.

Although Broja equalised in the 23rd minute following Bednarek's own goal, it seemed as though the Saints were heading towards a 2-1 defeat after Son Heung-min put the hosts in front with just 20 minutes remaining.

The 80th minute brought about an equaliser as Ward-Prowse whipped in an inch-perfect cross from the right-flank for Elyounoussi to head home.

It was a header that looked to have salvaged a point, but rather than be content with the draw, the Saints surged forward and they were duly rewarded when Ward-Prowse once again delivered a superb ball into the box with Adams on hand to nod past Hugo Lloris, completing an almighty comeback victory.

BEST MOMENT

After enjoying an impressive campaign it is no surprise that Ward-Prowse was in the running for best moment of the season for his superb strike in the 1-1 home draw with Spurs.

As the ball bounced towards the edge of the box, the midfielder was waiting to power the ball with the outside of his right foot through a sea of players, finding the bottom corner of the Tottenham goal.

However, the winning moment does involve Spurs, but it occurred in the aforementioned standout result, with the moment of the season being awarded to Adams's winning header at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

The forward completed a remarkable turnaround by scoring Southampton's second goal in three minutes, before wheeling off to a delirious away end to celebrate a thrilling 3-2 victory.

TOP PRIORITY FOR SUMMER

With Broja returning to Chelsea following a successful loan spell that included nine goals across all competitions and Shane Long out of contract in June, Hasenhuttl will want to strengthen his forward line.

The Southampton boss will have concerns about whether Adams and Adam Armstrong have the firepower to propel the Saints to a successful campaign next season, so Hasenhuttl will be focused on trying to improve his squad in the final third.

After finishing the 2021-22 season just five points above the drop zone, the South Coast side will also be keen to add strength-in-depth in all areas of the pitch as they look to avoid a relegation battle.

However, new arrivals will not be the only focus for the Saints over the Summer as they will also be desperate to keep hold of their star man Ward-Prowse, who has reportedly attracted interest from other clubs, but after signing a new five-year deal last August, Southampton will be confident that they can keep hold of their academy product.

FINAL VERDICT

After occupying ninth spot at the end of February, the Saints will believe they spurned a promising opportunity to clinch a top half finish after dropping down the table in the final few months of the campaign.

As a result, Southampton had to settle for a spot in the bottom half of the Premier League table for a fifth consecutive season, although they can at least be content with guaranteeing an 11th successive campaign in the top flight.

Although their Premier League showing may have been slightly underwhelming, the Saints can be pleased with their efforts in the FA Cup after they reached the quarter-finals for consecutive seasons.