Che Adams heads Southampton out of bottom three and sinks Bournemouth

At one point in the first half, long after Che Adams scored the only goal of the game and one that would ultimately clinch victory for Southampton, Ralph Hasenhüttl removed his black baseball cap and gave the referee, John Brooks, an earful.

The stakes were always going to be high for Hasenhüttl, whose position has been under increasing scrutiny after a poor start to the season. The agitation never ceased as the Southampton manager paced around the away technical area and they had to survive a late scare too, Mohammed Salisu clearing off the line midway through five minutes of second-half stoppage time to earn a much-needed win that hoists them out of the relegation zone. The last time Southampton tasted victory Scott Parker was still in charge of Bournemouth and the roars of relief were palpable at the final whistle.

Hasenhüttl is the fourth-longest serving manager in the Premier League but has been lurching from stable to insecure for what feels like an eternity. The pressure has been more pronounced in recent weeks given a poor start to the campaign culminated in Southampton dropping into the bottom three despite halting a run of four straight defeats with a draw against West Ham and the visitors headed 30 miles along the south coast on a run of 15 defeats from their previous 22 matches. Hasenhüttl badly required a result to provide a welcome lift. Bournemouth, meanwhile, came into this fixture on a six-game unbeaten run under interim manager Gary O’Neil, who took charge following their 9-0 defeat at Anfield.

It felt pertinent that Adams pointed to his ear as he wheeled away in celebration and his expertly-taken ninth-minute header went some way to quelling the noise. Elyounoussi surged down the right but cut inside