Southampton 3 Leicester 0: Watch highlights as Saints coast home against relegation-threatened Leicester – but it comes at a price as Virgil van Dijk taken off injured

IF you doubted whether Leicester City were in a relegation scrap this season, this result and performance confirmed it.

The Foxes were disjointed from the off, and Southampton's 3-0 victory thanks to goals from James Ward-Prowse, Jay Rodriguez and Dusan Tadic from the spot was thoroughly deserved.

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Although the victory came at some cost to Southampton. Commanding centre-half Virgil van Dijk, the subject of intense transfer speculation, limped off early in the second half after being caught on the ankle by Jamie Vardy.

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The hosts were deservedly ahead on 26 minutes after a fine, flowing attack resulted in full-back Cedric Soares cutting the ball back to Ward-Prowse in the box hammered the ball home first time.

Leicester were second best in almost every aspect, and it was no surprise when Southampton made it 2-0 on 39 minutes - and Ward-Prowse was again involved.

His free-kick into the area skimmed off the head of Wes Morgan and Rodriguez was quickest to react to fire past Kasper Schmeichel.

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The second followed the same pattern, with Leicester lethargic, while Southampton perhaps took their foot off the gas. But it should have been 3-0 on 73 minutes when Morgan headed in an own-goal from Tadic's free-kick - but the assistant incorrectly ruled it out for offside.

But the day still finished terribly for Morgan. He fouled birthday-boy Shane Long and Tadic made no mistake from the spot.

Fact, stats, goals and lols

• Southampton go from sublime to ridiculous. Playing the heart-stirring ‘Saints Are Coming’ by punk rockers The Skids before kick off and then an awful remake of Sinatra’s signature tune ‘My Way’ which is now ‘Our Way’. Cringeworthy.
• Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri makes three changes to his team which was hammered 3-0 at home by Chelsea last weekend.

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• James Ward-Prowse scores Saints’ first Premier League goal of 2017 when he turns in a cross from Cedric on 26 minutes to make it 1-0.
• Rejuvenated Saints’ striker Jay Rodriguez makes it 2-0 six minutes before half time.
• Play stopped for two minutes while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Nampalys Mendy receive treatment for a clash of heads.
• Saints skipper Virgil van Dijk forced off on 55 minutes with injury following a heavy challenge from City striker Jamie Vardy.
• Hojbjerg squanders two great chances to score and put the game to bed within an hour.

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Big Picture

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Social Says

Dream Team Ratings

Southampton: Forster 7, Soares 8, Yoshida 7, van Dijk (Stephens, 55), Bertrand 7, Højbjerg 7 (Clasie, 73), Romeu 7, Ward-Prowse 8, Redmond 7, Rodriguez 7 (Long, 79), Tadic 7
Subs (not used):  Martina, Taylor, McQueen, Sims.

Goals: Ward-Prowse (26), Rodriguez (39), Tadic (86, pen)

Booked: None

Leicester: Schmeichel 6, Simpson 6, Morgan 6, Huth 6, Fuchs 5, Ndidi 7, Drinkwater 6, Mendy 6 (Albrighton, 45 6), Okazaki 6 (Musa, 63 6), Vardy 6, Gray 6
Subs (not used): Chilwell, King, Kapustka, Zieler, Benalouane

Goals: None

Booked: Morgan

Star man: Cedric Soares

What they said

James Ward-Prowse: "I think this is a turning point in the season.

"I'm pleased to get on the scoresheet but the most important thing is the team."

Jay Rodriguez: "It's always nice to play, and score, and hopefully I will keep on improving.

"The main thing is the win, and it's important to go into the game on Wednesday [vs Liverpool in the EFL Cup second] with confidence."

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Claudio Ranieri: "I changed the shape, maybe I made mistakes, I was wrong against Chelsea with three at the back, and also today with the diamond.

"I made a mistake, that's the problem. I think it's much better to give them what they know very well.

"They had to push a lot with this system and improve.

"We tried to change our shape, to try and make a goal, if we score we have a chance, but this is no excuse, they played better than us, and they deserved to win."