Everton 2-1 Southampton: 5 Hits and Flops
Following an enthralling 2-2 away draw against Wolves last weekend, Everton recorded their first Premier League victory of the campaign with a 2-1 win over Southampton at Goodison Park.
They raced into a two-goal cushion within the first half-hour, as goals from Theo Walcott and Richarlison showcased their dominance. However, Danny Ings' close-range finish shortly after the half-time interval gave Saints hope of a genuine comeback.
Despite fashioning goalscoring opportunities, the visitors were unable to salvage a point as Marco Silva's side held firm and could've added to their advantage themselves in truth.
Here are five players who experienced contrasting fortunes during this affair:
#5 Flop: Charlie Austin
Although his strike partner halved the deficit and remained a nuisance throughout, the same could not be said for Austin - who was wasteful and struggled for large periods in a match where Mark Hughes needed his presence in the final third to pay dividends.
He had three shots on goal, yet failed to hit the target with all of them. One in particular, a golden opportunity after just nine minutes, went begging as he struck wide from a teasing James Ward-Prowse delivery into the box.
During his battles with Mason Holgate, he regularly came out second best and was made to look foolish and sluggish at times by the 21-year-old. Unsurprisingly, he was hooked off just before the hour mark in place of Shane Long as the visitors went in search of an all-important equaliser.
From a player of his quality and capabilities, this was a disappointing showing and one you'd hope doesn't reflect too poorly on Southampton's forward options this term - not least as he's expected to be pivotal in their success.