Southampton returned to winning ways at home to Coventry City on Tuesday night and despite not scoring, one man made a serious impression at St Mary’s.
Southampton’s hopes of finishing in the top two were crushed following a three-match winless run, including a last-gasp defeat to rivals Ipswich Town.
With momentum required ahead of a potential play-off campaign, Russell Martin ordered a response from his side against play-off hopefuls Coventry City.
On paper, this was a very tough match as the Sky Blues had just secured victory over Leeds United, while winning four of their last five Championship matches.
The South Coasters didn’t let the form guide disrupt their free-flowing football as they raced into a two-goal lead in the first half, which the visitors couldn’t come back from despite Jake Bidwell scoring late on.
As Che Adams netted a brace, the forward received most of the plaudits, but one Southampton player was incredible on the night.
Joe Aribo was a real ‘force’ against Coventry City
A majestically skilful player, capable of breathtaking first touches, technical excellence on the ball and the power to drive forward, Joe Aribo is a key cog in Martin’s midfield.
The 27-year-old has featured 29 times in the Championship term and while he’s only produced four goal contributions, his importance has been exhumed in other areas of his game.
An ability to take the ball in tight spaces, rampage forward from deep and be a real nuisance to his opponents were all attributes showcased by the Nigerian against Coventry.
Joe Aribo’s statistics against Coventry City, as per Sofascore.
| Joe Aribo’s stats vs Coventry | Value |
| Minutes played | 83 |
| Dribble attempts (successful) | 4 (2) |
| Key passes | 2 |
| Ground duels (won) | 11 (7) |
| Was fouled | 4 |
| Accurate passes (%) | 41/47 (87%) |
Aribo was unplayable at times centrally and Coventry struggled to live with his sheer strength and fleet-footed dribbling, with the Nigerian awarded Man of the Match.
A real ‘force’ in Southampton’s midfield, as lauded by the Daily Echo, the former Rangers star was immense and the above table demonstrates that.
Joe Aribo is a level above
Aribo makes it look effortless on the pitch when playing at his best, as depicted by several of his statistics this term, including his progressive passes, non-penalty goals, tackles and progressive carries.
When comparing the above to his positional peers in the Championship, the fleet-footed Nigerian is levels ahead.
Joe Aribo’s Championship statistics this term according to FBref.
- Successful take-ons (top 12%)
- Non-penalty goals (top 11%)
- Progressive carries (top 10%)
- Tackles (top 7%)
- Pass completion (top 5%)
- Progressive passes (top 3%)
A well-rounded, midfield machine Aribo excels in almost every area and it is no wonder he’s become a hero under Martin.