James Ward-Prowse earns point for Southampton to stall Leeds’ progress

Jesse Marsch describes Ralph Hasenhüttl as a gentleman, a mentor, a gifted pianist and a good friend.

Given that Southampton’s manager is similarly complimentary about about his Leeds counterpart it was perhaps appropriate that no one lost an always entertaining match which leaves Marsch’s side eight points clear of the bottom three.

Leeds have clearly improved in the month since the American succeeded Marcelo Bielsa but they have not yet quite banished their relegation fears and could do with winning at Watford next Saturday.

The warmth of the managers’ greetings was testament to the seven weeks Marsch, then managing the MLS team New York Red Bulls spent shadowing Hasenhuttl - not to mention listening to him playing the piano - at Leipzig in the winter of 2016-17.

Southampton arrived still stuck in a bit of a bleak mid-winter of their own. Aiming to arrest a run of four straight defeats, they swiftly found themselves penned in their own half by the attacking aggression of a Leeds side bolstered by two consecutive wins.

At first, Marsch’s players dominated without causing Hasenhüttl’s England goalkeeper Fraser Forster too much real danger. Although Rodrigo’s movement and link play and Dan James’s searing change of pace gave Southampton a few frights Forster remained largely well protected by the impressive Mohammed Salisu and his defenders until the 29th minute.

With the visiting backline finally confounded by Raphinha’s right wing cross, the visiting goalkeeper could merely parry that delivery, leaving the ball travelling only as far as Jack Harrison whose scoring half-volley sent Elland Road’s already high decibel level soaring.

That explosion of noise possibly woke Southampton up as, almost immediately, they improved