Divin Mubama delivered a dramatic, late strike on his first appearance at home for Southampton, sealing a 3-1 win against his former side, Stoke City. The Manchester City loanee, who had been sent off for a dive at St Mary's almost a year earlier while playing for Stoke, turned hero this time, helping the Saints maintain an unbeaten run at their ground that dates back to January. The match saw a series of pivotal moments. After Cyle Larin, the Canadian forward, gave Southampton an early advantage with his third goal in as many games, Stoke responded through Ethan Galbraith, who found the net to level the score.
The visitors appeared poised to claim a valuable point, but the Saints continued to press. In the dying minutes of regular time, Ryan Manning stepped up to convert a penalty after Svante Ingelsson was dismissed for a foul on Samuel Edozie, extending Southampton's lead. The line‑up featured notable absences and debuts. Taylor Harwood‑Bellis was missing from the squad after Southampton turned down an £18 million offer from Aston Villa earlier in the week, a move that reportedly prompted manager Unai Emery to prepare an improved bid for the England‑capped defender.
Meanwhile, Stoke manager Mark Robins handed first‑team debuts to new signing George Hirst – acquired from Ipswich for £7 million – and loan player Ben Johnson from the Tractor Boys, with Djibril Soumaré also making his inaugural appearance for the club. Before kickoff, a minute of applause was observed in memory of Kevin Keegan, the former Southampton and England striker who passed away the previous month.
The tribute set a respectful tone for the encounter. Southampton opened the scoring after a fluid exchange between Finn Azaz and Flynn Downes. Their interplay allowed Larin to break through the middle of the defence, and the Canadian calmly slotted the ball past Stoke goalkeeper Viktor Johansson. Stoke quickly threatened a response when Hirst found himself with a clear chance, only for Nathan Wood to intervene with a crucial last‑ditch tackle that cleared the danger.
Stoke equalised shortly after when Galbraith, a summer signing from Swansea, headed home his first goal for the club. He capitalised on a low cross from Sam Gallagher, which had been set up by an impressive run from Bae Jun‑ho. The game remained tightly contested, with both sides creating opportunities and possession gradually shifting in Southampton's favour. Manning continued to test the opposition defence with a clever pass to Larin, but Ben Johnson made a superb defensive effort, deflecting the shot wide.
Later, Leo Scienza's free‑kick struck the post after bouncing off Johnson's back, underscoring Southampton's growing pressure. Larin enjoyed another chance, this time delivered by Azaz; Johansson managed to turn the powerful effort away from the post. In the 89th minute, a swift combination involving Lewis Dobbin and Finn Azaz produced the opening for Mubama, who expertly finished to give the Saints a late lead.
The drama intensified in the fourth minute of added time when Edozie broke free, only to be brought down by Ingelsson. Manning calmly stepped up and converted the resulting penalty, sealing the 3-1 result. After the match, Southampton manager Tonda Eckert reflected on the team's performance: "I think as much as you want to be at 100 percent in the way a game goes, that's just not the way at the beginning of the season.
We made a commitment at half‑time that we go all in and I think we deserve to bring that game in our direction in the second half." Addressing Harwood‑Bellis' omission, Eckert said, "I think he's left absolutely everything here for this club in the last season. He loves this club so much. He loves his teammates so much.
And then at the same time you have an offer coming in. You have some thoughts about how it is to play Champions League football. I think if you find yourself in that position, it's not easy." He added, "We're desperately crying out for it (new players). But I know that the owner has been absolutely fantastic and he will do as much as he possibly can do.
We've got to try and shift players that don't want to be here or players that aren't going to cut it for us. We could have come away with the three points today. It's just unfortunate that we didn't manage to stay on the front foot, even when the changes were made." The win not only extended Southampton's unbeaten home streak but also highlighted the impact of loan players like Mubama and the resilience of the squad after early setbacks.
The match also served as a reminder of the emotional ties within the club, from honoring Kevin Keegan to navigating transfer speculation surrounding key defenders. The Saints will look to build on this performance as they aim to climb the Championship table, while Stoke will reflect on missed opportunities and the disciplinary issues that saw Ingelsson sent off. For fans wanting to keep up with the action, Sky offers the ability to watch EFL games on mobile devices, and free Championship highlights are available online.
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