Hasenhuttl accepts importance of midweek clash with rivals AFC Bournemouth

 

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl during the Premier League match between Southampton and West Ham at St Mary's Stadium. Photo by Stuart Martin..

RALPH Hasenhuttl accepted the importance of Wednesday’s clash with AFC Bournemouth but insisted he retains “all the belief” in what Saints are doing.

The St Mary’s side visit the Vitality Stadium five points behind their fellow south-coast Premier League rivals after 10 matches.

Bournemouth, first managed by Scott Parker before Gary O’Neil took over on an interim basis, were firm favourites for relegation before the season began.

They were defeated 9-0 by Liverpool but are the only team in the division to remain unbeaten since, despite a difficult summer of recruitment and many feeling they have a weaker squad.

Saints, who are in the bottom three with eight points, must start picking up victories and crucially against teams they are likely to be competing with come the end of the season.

"For us, it's a Premier League game and an important one,” Hasenhuttl said, asked if there is any added incentive given the locality and shared objectives of the clubs.

“We go there and I think we know that they are in good shape at the moment, but we go there like we have always gone into in the past with all the belief in what we are doing to make it a good evening for us.”

The meeting comes off the back of a 1-1 draw with West Ham United, at St Mary’s, that ended a run of four straight defeats in the Premier League for Hasenhuttl and Saints.

It could have been a first win since the August victory over Chelsea, after Romain Perraud put Saints ahead and Che Adams squandered two big chances.

"For everybody it is very frustrating because these are the moments where you can make a big step forward,” Hasenhuttl admitted.

“But it would still be a long way to go. There's no guarantee that you win games but it makes it a little bit easier. And then you can definitely play a little bit calmer but we are never in the situation."

He added: "Let's say every point we get is a point gained and we know that we need every point.

“We are now going to Bournemouth and then against Arsenal so another two games this week. We have to be ready for the Wednesday game, immediately focus is on the game and hopefully we can get a win there."

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Jamal Musiala sparkles as Bayern crush Leverkusen 4-0 to snap winless run

"I think it is still too early. We have to play more games like that so we can't just say now we are back," Musiala said.

"Everyone in the team wanted to win today. There was pressure on each and everyone of us. We all want to be number one and we showed it today. Pressure is always there at Bayern." In a frenzied start, Musiala set up Leroy Sane for their first goal in the third minute to settle nerves in the Allianz Arena as the Bavarians were desperate to bounce back following their recent dip in form and their longest run without a win in 20 years.

The 19-year-old attacking midfielder terrorised the Leverkusen defence throughout the game and turned scorer in the 17th minute after a one-two with Thomas Mueller and a slightly deflected shot.

He then helped Sadio Mane end his five-game goal drought, picking out the Senegalese in the box who sent another deflected effort past goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky for his first goal in front of a home crowd.

Musiala has now scored five times in the league and set up three goals.

The icing on Bayern's cake came in the 84th minute when Hradecky slipped in the box to send the ball directly into Mueller's path for their fourth goal.

The win lifted Bayern into second place in the Bundesliga on 15 points, two behind leaders Union Berlin, who travel to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

Fellow Champions League club, Bayer Leverkusen, who travel to Porto on Tuesday, slumped deeper into trouble, dropping to 16th in the league.

Coach Gerardo Seoane's team have won just one of their eight Bundesliga matches so far after finishing in third place last season.

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