Stoke City secured their second league win of the season as substitute Peter Crouch netted the winner against a goal-shy Southampton.
Mame Biram Diouf’s header put the hosts ahead and they should have doubled their lead a minute later.
Virgil van Dijk, making his first league start since January for Saints, brought down Saido Berahino in the box but his penalty was saved by Fraser Forster.
Southampton equalised through the unlikely source of Maya Yoshida but Crouch came off the bench to secure the three points.
Crouch was the difference as Stoke beat Southampton 1-0 at St Mary’s in May – a game in which Saints enjoyed the majority of the possession but were poor in the final third.
And it was a similar story at the bet365 stadium where their chronic lack of confidence in front of goal showed, and they left their best chances to the final 10 minutes before going home empty handed.
BBC Sports
