Southampton

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Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert praised his "quality players" for their work in an emphatic victory over QPR on Tuesday night.

Saints took an early lead through Finn Azaz before a brace from Kuryu Matsuki and goals from Leo Scienza and James Bree.

The victory moves them up to seventh in the table and four points behind Wrexham who sit in sixth.

"There are many games we could have scored more than one and sometimes that's enough, but today there were some key moments that came out way and we do have some quality players on the pitch.

"These night games are always special at St Mary's," Eckert told BBC Radio Solent.

"It's a quick pitch and we needed to make sure that we are really sharp and we were right from the beginning, the first goal was because of that.

"I'm very big on confidence and I believe every player needs to back themselves, he (Matsuki) has got his head down and worked hard despite not playing very minutes and today is a consequence of that.

"We're still not where we want to be, we have to keep our heads down, be humble and keep working, we need to turn this into a really good month when we have our game Saturday."

Saints are next in action when they travel away to already relegated Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

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Young Southampton winger Sufianu Sillah Dibaga has signed a new contract at the club through to 2028.

The 19-year-old is a product of the Saints academy and made his senior debut recently in their FA Cup win over Leicester at St Mary's.

Sillah Dibaga came off the bench and into the action just after the hour mark and completed the final 30 minutes and extra time.

Sufianu said: "It feels amazing. It's been a crazy week making my debut, it was a great experience.

"Now I just want to stay consistent and maintain the good performances [in the under-21s] and try to get more chances with the first team. That comes with training well and showing that I'm ready to get more minutes and perform."

At the final whistle, Southampton had five academy players on the pitch in what Tonda Eckert afterwards described as a big day for the club's academy.

Director of group talent strategy Andy Goldie said: "This tops off a fantastic week for Sufianu after making his first-team debut and he has committed his future to the club on terms befitting of the progress he has made this season.

"As with all young players, he still has a lot of work to do to make the next step in adding a sustainable impact in the first team, however if he continues to apply himself in the same way then his trajectory is very exciting."

Play-off chasers Southampton and Queens Park Rangers will face each other at St Mary's for Tuesday night's headline act (20:00 GMT).

The Saints are undefeated across their past six league games (W4 D2) to leave them four points off Wrexham in sixth place.

QPR's results haven't looked as bright (W2 D2 L2) but they are level on points with their hosts and will be just as interested in taking some ground advantage against one of their promotion-chasing rivals.

• Southampton have won each of their last five league games against QPR, since a 2-1 home loss in March 2013 in the Premier League.

• QPR have lost their last two away league games against Southampton, last losing more consecutive visits between 1957 and 1969 (4).

• Southampton have won six of their eight midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league matches this season, with the exceptions being a 3-1 loss at Bristol City and a 0-0 draw with Millwall.

• QPR are unbeaten in their last four midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) away league matches (W3 D1), keeping a clean sheet in each of the last three.

• Against no side has Southampton's Finn Azaz provided more assists in English league football than QPR (3), assisting in each of his last three appearances against them.

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Southampton boss Tonda Eckert felt "disappointed" after only winning a point at home to Charlton but admitted it could be a decent result come the end of the season.

Saints fired themsleves into the lead in the second half as Leo Scienza's cross was glanced into the net by Ross Stewart.

But after Sonny Carey's equaliser they were unable to find the goal to win them three points, despite large periods with the ball and 10 minutes of added time.

"There's a little bit of a disappointment for the very moment," Eckert said after the game. "But at the same time I think it might be a point that will come to quite a big importance towards the end of the season.

"In those games, especially at home we play to win. I think that's very clear. If you go behind after scoring in the second half, we have done it sometimes where we managed to bring those games over the line or then score a second goal.

"We didn't manage that today, so for the moment there's a little bit of disappointment on the result. But that will be gone by tomorrow morning and then we go again on Tuesday."

Southampton are now four points off the top six and next host QPR at St Mary's on Tuesday.

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Southampton boss Tonda Eckert has said that defender Welington will be out for a "couple more weeks" with a muscle injury.

The 25-year-old was forced off in the final moments of Southampton's dramatic win over Leicester at the King Power 10 days ago, and will now face a spell on the sidelines.

While giving an update on fitness in the squad, Eckert also confirmed that captain Jack Stephens had been given the all-clear regarding his fitness after undergoing a scan.

"Welly is going to still take a couple more weeks with a muscle injury, not the best [news] but hopefully it won't take too long," Eckert told BBC Radio Solent.

"Jack's scan came back fine, so he will be available for tomorrow. The only other one was Jay [Robinson] who struggled a little bit with his quad, so he will be out for tomorrow, and we need to manage this over the next week and then get him back quickly."

Welington has made 15 appearances for Saints so far this season and has impressed since being handed more minutes after the turn of the year.

Southampton have climbed up the table in recent weeks with four wins in their last five matches, sitting ninth in the Championship table.

"It's all set up and now it depends on us," Eckert added.

"We have made some progress over the last weeks but still at the same time we are far away from where we want to be in the end, now is the moment to keep pushing and stay on the gas.

"The whole club has come together over the last few weeks, the group has come further together and we are increasing our intensity by each game.

"In general things are going in a good direction but we need to prove that every single time we step on the pitch."

Saints welcome back former head coach Nathan Jones on Saturday who brings his Charlton side to St Mary's.

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Southampton will look to gain further ground on the Championship play-off places when they welcome a Charlton Athletic side looking to steer clear of the relegation zone on Saturday (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

The Saints are in fine form with three wins on the bounce and four victories in their past five (D1) to move within two points of the top six going into the weekend.

The Addicks are seven points clear of the relegation zone with three wins in their past seven games (D1 L3), having won just one of 11 previously (D3 L7).

• Southampton won 5-1 away to Charlton in November of this season and could win home and away against them in a league campaign for the first time since 1989-90, which came in the top-flight.

• Southampton have won both of their home games against promoted sides in the league this season (2-1 v Wrexham and 3-1 v Birmingham) – they last won three in a Championship campaign in 2007-08 (v Blackpool, Scunthorpe and Bristol City).

• Southampton are unbeaten in their past five league games (W4 D1), winning each of the past three on the bounce.

• Charlton Athletic have won just one of their past 10 away league games (D3 L6), though that win came in their most recent game on the road (2-0 at Leicester).

• Charlton have scored 11 goals via substitutes in the Championship this season, with only Ipswich Town scoring more (12). Indeed, both of Charlton's league goals in February came from substitutes (Tyreece Campbell vs Stoke and Jayden Fevrier vs Portsmouth).

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Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

Southampton striker Ross Stewart says he would "definitely be interested" in extending his stay at the club beyond the end of this season.

The 29-year-old's current contract expires in the summer but the Saints have the option of a one-year extension they can invoke should they wish to keep the Scot.

Stewart's time at St Mary's has been blighted by injury since arriving from Sunderland at the start of the 2023-24 season and he has made just 35 appearances in all competitions in two-and-a-half years.

"It's an interesting one because obviously in the back of my head I'm aware of the situation, but at the same time I just want to try and get a run of games together," Stewart told BBC Radio Solent.

"For me, just between now and the end of season, it's playing as much as I can and trying to have a positive impact and see what happens.

"There's obviously a lot of routes I can go down in terms of what could happen, but there's no point.

"It's about just playing for Southampton, trying to show the club what I can do, try and be positive and play as many games and that hopefully takes care of itself."

After missing two-and-a-half months of this campaign with a hamstring injury, Stewart has enjoyed a run in the side since the turn of year but says it is now about staying fit.

"I'm really happy being here," added Stewart, who has scored four goals and provided two assists in 15 games in the Championship this season.

"I've loved my time here so far and if there was an option there to extend it, I'd definitely be interested in doing that."

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The draw for the FA Cup fifth round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties in the order they were drawn.

• Fulham v Southampton

• Port Vale or Bristol City v Sunderland

• Newcastle United v Manchester City

• Leeds United v Norwich City

• Mansfield Town v Arsenal

• Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool

• Wrexham v Chelsea

• West Ham v Macclesfield or Brentford

The matches will be played over the weekend of 7 March.

Watch all the highlights and best video from this season's FA Cup

Martin Sanders
Southampton fan writer

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Saturday felt like more than just another cup tie, it felt like a reminder of what Southampton Football Club has always stood for.

For years Saints have been synonymous with youth development, the academy has produced players who have gone on to shine at the very highest level such as Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse.

That pathway from Staplewood to the first team and often beyond became central to the club's identity.

But in recent years that production line has felt quieter, opportunities for academy players have been fewer, and supporters have understandably questioned whether the club's greatest strength had been diluted.

Saturday's FA Cup win over Leicester City suggested otherwise.

Tonda Eckert took a bold approach, giving several young players opportunities in a high-pressure fixture and by the final whistle five academy products were on the pitch.

Cameron Bragg was one of those players, he ended up playing the entire game across 90 minutes and added time, and the young midfielder produced an assured and increasingly influential display.

He grew in confidence as the match wore, demanding possession and dictating the rhythm of play.

His composure under pressure stood out, as did his awareness and maturity - it was a performance that suggested Southampton may once again have a player capable of progressing far beyond his years.

What made the afternoon particularly encouraging was not just individual promise, but collective mentality and getting the job done to reach the next round.

It is one thing for a club to talk about youth development as part of its philosophy, it's another to demonstrate genuine trust when the stakes are high and Eckert deserves credit for aligning words with action.

The Saints identity has never been built purely on financial power or superstar signings, it has been built on pathways, patience, and on the courage to give young players their opportunity.

If Saturday was an indication of what is to come, the future at St Mary's may once again be shaped by its academy.

Watch more of Martin's Southampton FC content by clicking here., external

Adam Cottier
Final Score reporter

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Tonda Eckert is adamant that Southampton's momentum has been building for a while.

And there's now concrete evidence that the club is heading back in the right direction after a couple of turbulent years.

Eckert chose to make 10 changes for the FA Cup tie against Leicester and Southampton ended extra-time with an array of talent from their academy on the pitch, showcasing the depth of a squad the German has at his disposal.

A fourth successive triumph for Southampton came after a tight grapple with an ailing Leicester side that had squandered a three-goal lead to lose in extraordinary circumstances in a Championship fixture between the two teams four days earlier.

The only thing extraordinary about this latest Leicester loss was Oliver Skipp's overhead kick - only the fourth goal of his career.

Southampton won because they persevered. The young players who emerged from their bench provided the required spark in the extra 30 minutes.

Although not one of those teenage talents, James Bree won the game with a header that owed a lot to an inadvertent assist by Leicester's Patson Daka, but it said a lot for both sides that Southampton reached the last 16 having altered so much of their playing personnel.

With Saints also now only two points from the Championship play-off positions, a promotion push - unthinkable in the autumn - looks possible, and especially so if their academy products can continue to fuel the optimism at St Mary's as they did on Saturday.

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The 2025-26 FA Cup fifth-round draw will take place on Monday, 16 February at about 18:35 GMT.

It will be done before the fourth-round tie between Macclesfield Town - the lowest-ranked team left in the competition - and Brentford, with former England internationals Joe Cole and Karen Carney conducting the draw on TNT Sports.

Supporters can also follow the draw on the BBC Sport website and app.

All matches will be played around the weekend commencing Saturday, 7 March.

Unlike in previous years, there are no replays if matches end as a draw. All ties will go to extra time, and if necessary, a penalty shootout.

What are the ball numbers?

1. Liverpool

2. Fulham

3. Sunderland

4. Southampton

5. Wrexham

6. Arsenal

7. Chelsea

8. West Ham United

9. Mansfield Town

10. Norwich City

11. Port Vale or Bristol City

12. Wolverhampton Wanderers

13. Newcastle United

14. Manchester City

15. Macclesfield or Brentford

16. Leeds United

Pundits Ellen White and Shay Given join host Alex Scott to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's FA Cup ties.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Hull City 0-4 Chelsea

• Wrexham 1-0 Ipswich

• Burton Albion 0-1 West Ham

• Manchester City 2-0 Salford City

• Aston Villa 1-3 Newcastle

• Liverpool 3-0 Brighton and Hove Albion

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert was keen to praise his players after they beat Leicester City in FA Cup extra time with a heavy influence from their academy.

Saints finished the game with five academy players on the pitch, with 20-year-old Cam Bragg playing the full game plus added time.

Before taking over the first team, Eckert was in charge of the club's under-21 side.

"I'm very pleased, today was a big day for the academy," Eckert said.

"It's a big day for the football club and just shows that we have a lot of talent coming up.

"We are making those steps to become a winning football team and that won't happen overnight but we are heading in the right direction to be able to win different games of football.

"The baseline is that we need to win and today we did that with a lot of energy and a lot of our young players on the pitch."