Russell Martin was astounded by one ‘outstanding’ Southampton player for his performance in the 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town.
Southampton seemed set to win their first top-flight game of the season in a relegation six-pointer against Ipswich Town. Tyler Dibling, 18, scored his first Premier League goal in the fifth minute.
Russell Martin’s team managed to keep the lead until the dying embers, but the Southampton manager was furious when the visitors scored in the 95th minute.
It was a tie that would have seemed like a defeat after leading for so long, but Martin found time to congratulate one of his players from Saturday afternoon.
Russell Martin praises ‘outstanding’ Tyler Dibling following Ipswich Town draw.
Dibling terrorised Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot in his maiden Premier League debut for Southampton last weekend.
Dalot hacked down the fleet-footed winger in the box, resulting in a penalty that Cameron Archer failed to convert, which proved costly.
Man United have since placed Dibling on their transfer radar, despite Southampton’s hopes of signing the kid to a long-term contract. Nonetheless, the academy product demonstrated why he is sought by one of the world’s greatest clubs by scoring against Ipswich, leaving Martin stunned by his ‘outstanding’ performance.
The Southampton manager says he would ‘spend a lot of money to watch him play football’ and considers himself blessed to work with him every day.
“He can do things that not many other players I’ve ever seen can do,” Martin told X. “I enjoy watching him play.” I would pay a lot of money to see him play football.
“Fortunately, I’m the guy that gets to work with him and try and develop him.” Tyler Dibling’s performance in figures versus Ipswich
Dibling’s ability to glide past players with the ball has earned him comparisons to Manchester City’s Jack Grealish in the early stages of his professional career.
When he gains possession, his first thought is to drive it, which is
Why has he been such a breath of fresh air to watch since joining the first team? Dibling was the Saints’ main offensive outlet against Ipswich, but he also provided additional defensive protection by tracking back and assisting Yukinari Sugawara.
- 42 touches
- 0.66 Expected Goal (xG)
- 0.20 Expected Assists (xA)
- 24/29 (83%) accurate passes
- 1 big chance created
- 3 successful dribbles
- 8 ground duels won
Dibling’s stats from 82 minutes of action, as recorded by Sofascore, are shown below. To produce the above figures at the age of 18 in the world’s top league is nothing short of amazing, and it highlights why Southampton must sign Dibling to a long-term contract.
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