- Founded 1885
- Stadium St Marys Stadium
- Manager Tonda Eckert
- Competition Championship 2026-27
- Goals 21
- Goals Conceded 10
- Yellow Cards 19
- Total Red Cards 1
Southampton Squawka Score ratings 2026/27
Nineteen goals in eight games is the second-best attacking return in the Championship, and it has Southampton fourth. Tonda Eckert’s side have beaten Millwall 5-1, Bristol City 4-1 and Swansea 3-1, but have also lost at Watford and at Wrexham – the sort of results that separate a promotion side from a play-off one. Below, we take a look at Southampton’s most-used XI so far and how each player has performed, based on the Squawka Score rating system.
The Squawka Score is a metric developed to assess a player’s performance relative to other players in the same position. It is shown as a percentage, and it is worth knowing that 66% is average rather than 50% – a 70% is a good afternoon and 85% or above marks out one of the best players on the pitch. Each score is calculated from a range of per-90-minute statistics, taking in the obvious numbers such as goals and assists alongside some more obscure ones that are far more position-specific. A player’s season figure is simply the average of his match ratings.
One note on the Championship: the division does not carry expected-goals data, so these ratings are built on volume and quality of actions – shots, big chances, duels, clearances, passes into the box – rather than xG and xA.
GK: Daniel Peretz – 66% – Twenty-two saves and every minute played, with 10 conceded. Peretz has been busy for a side this far up the table, and two completed sweeper actions point to how high Southampton defend. No errors charged against him.
RB: James Bree – 68% – Eight interceptions, 20 clearances and four blocked shots from every available minute, plus an assist. A steady, unspectacular season so far from a full-back asked to hold the width on the right while Manning attacks from the other side.
RCB: Nathan Wood – 65% – Six starts, 20 aerial duels won, 25 clearances and a club-leading seven tackles won among the defenders. Wood has been the more conservative half of the centre-back pairing and the numbers reflect it.
LCB: Keven Schlotterbeck – 70% – The most productive defender at the club and the most error-prone. Forty-two clearances, 22 aerials won, 33 duels won, nine interceptions and eight blocked shots all lead the squad, along with 63 progressive passes and a goal. Four errors leading to shots is the worst figure in the side and the reason this is a 70% rather than a 78%.
LB: Ryan Manning – 71% – An outstanding attacking return from left-back: six clear-cut chances created leads the club, along with 65 passes into the penalty area and 105 into the final third, plus a goal, an assist and a converted penalty. Manning is the most dangerous set-piece presence at the club alongside Ward-Prowse.
RCM: Flynn Downes – 70% – Forty-seven duels won is the most of any Southampton player, with nine interceptions and 15 possessions regained in his own third. Two assists as well. Three yellow cards is the highest at the club, which is the occupational hazard of the role he plays.
LCM: James Ward-Prowse – 75% – Four starts from six appearances and the quality is undimmed: a goal, an assist, five shots on target and three direct free-kicks, the most in the side. Ward-Prowse remains the best dead-ball technician in the division and Southampton look a different team with him in it.
AM: Finn Azaz – 77% – Three goals and four assists, with a club-leading 16 chances created and 105 passes into the final third. Azaz has been the connective tissue between midfield and Larin all season, and his 77% is the joint-best at the club across a full run of games.
RW: Kuryu Matsuki – 66% – A goal and an assist from six starts, with seven tackles won showing the defensive side of the job is being done. The creative output is modest for a wide player in a side scoring this freely, and it is the one position where Southampton look thin.
LW: Scienza – 77% – Two goals, two assists and 14 chances created, three of them clear-cut, with 36 touches in the opposition box and a club-high 12 completed take-ons. He takes 23 of the corners and has scored a penalty. A genuinely dangerous left-sided attacker.
ST: Cyle Larin – 77% – Seven goals from a club-high 33 shots with 12 on target, and 50 touches in the opposition box, the most in the side. Fifty-three duels lost and 14 fouls are the price of leading the line alone, and five big chances missed suggest the tally could be higher still.
Southampton’s set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Scienza, Ryan Manning
- Free-kicks: James Ward-Prowse, Ryan Manning
- Corners: Scienza, Ryan Manning
Scienza has taken 23 of Southampton’s corners to Ryan Manning’s 11. James Ward-Prowse has had three of the direct free-kicks. Scienza and Ryan Manning have each converted from the spot.
Southampton FAQs
How have Southampton started the 2026/27 season?
Strongly in attack. Southampton are fourth on 14 points from eight games, with four wins and two draws, and have scored 19 goals – more than every side bar West Ham.
Who is Southampton’s best player this season?
Three players share top spot on 77%: Cyle Larin, Finn Azaz and Scienza. James Ward-Prowse is next on 75% from four starts.
Where did Southampton finish in the 2025/26 Championship season?
Southampton finished fourth in the Championship. They won their play-off semi-final against Middlesbrough but were subsequently expelled from the play-off final following an EFL disciplinary ruling.
Who is the Southampton manager?
Tonda Eckert is the head coach of Southampton. The German succeeded Will Still in November 2025, initially on an interim basis before signing permanently.
Who is the current Southampton captain?
Jack Stephens is the Southampton club captain. The long-serving central defender continues to lead the side at St Mary’s.