Walker-Peters stunner sees off City

Walker-Peters showed his class two minutes into the second half, unleashing an unstoppable left-footed shot that lit up a game Saints had struggled to seize control of to that point.

City were left cursing two first-half misses from Tommy Conway and one from Mark Sykes, as Gavin Bazunu earned his third clean sheet of the season with two vital stops.

Saints were much better after the break, immediately edging in front and threatening further goals through Adam Armstrong and Carlos Alcaraz, affording their goalkeeper a stress-free second period.

Russell Martin made three changes to his starting line-up following Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Huddersfield, where Saints allowed the hosts to find a way back into a game in which they’d been outplayed for long periods, much to the manager’s annoyance.

Ryan Manning returned at left-back, Shea Charles slotted into midfield and Alcaraz spearheaded the attack, as James Bree, Will Smallbone and Ryan Fraser dropped to the bench.

That meant Adam Armstrong shifted out to the right flank, where he soon became entangled with left wing-back Sykes, whose persistence on the touchline irritated the Saints skipper, baiting a shove in the chest and the game’s first yellow card inside six minutes.

Walker-Peters followed Armstrong into the book ten minutes later, underlining Saints’ frustrated start.

Tempers flared early on as Adam Armstrong was booked for pushing Mark Sykes in the chest

A brilliant piece of football to play their way out from their own six-yard box to City’s final third had the manager on his feet applauding on the touchline, before a slick interchange between Kamaldeen and Alcaraz led to Armstrong’s shot being blocked behind for a corner.

But City had the best chance of the opening half hour when a right-wing corner glanced off Stuart Armstrong on to the head of Conway four yards out, but the striker, perhaps not expecting the ball to reach him, fluffed his lines.

Max O’Leary took two attempts to gather Stuart Armstrong’s awkward left-footer, but neither goalkeeper was being kept busy, and the game’s stop-start nature continued when Kamaldeen pulled up with what looked like a hamstring issue, replaced by Ché Adams.

The visitors were holding their own, restricting Saints to long shots, as Flynn Downes flashed one narrowly off target, before Bazunu kept the hosts on level terms with a goal-line save.

Finding space down the right, George Tanner’s cross flashed beyond Conway but not Sykes who was arriving around the back, whose flying header looked destined for the net until Bazunu intervened.

Adams’s first sight of goal was a shot wide on the turn after more good work from Downes, whose combination with Manning created the chance, before Saints were indebted to their goalkeeper once more.

Some impressive build-up play from City preceded Matty James’s ball over the top for Conway, who raced clear of the Saints defence, but out came Bazunu to read his intentions as the youngster tried to round the Irishman rather than shooting past him.

Kyle Walker-Peters hits a howitzer to win the game for Saints two minutes into the second half

Martin would have wanted more from his side after the break, and Saints needed only two minutes to produce the goods.

Alcaraz spread the play early to Adam Armstrong on the right, who wisely waited for support and got it from Walker-Peters.

Whether the skipper’s pass was designed for the goalscorer or not, the right-back pounced on it, took a couple of touches to his left to engineer the space and open up the angle, and hit an unstoppable shot with his weaker foot that sailed into O’Leary’s top-right corner from 20 yards.

Suddenly City couldn’t get a look in. Alcaraz whipped one wide after the tireless Adam Armstrong dispossessed Sykes to keep the ball alive in the box, prompting visiting boss Liam Manning, who arrived at St Mary’s unbeaten in the job, to make a double change as Conway trudged off ruing those first-half chances.

Bazunu had not touched the ball with his hands since the interval, while O’Leary was forced into low saves to keep out Adam Armstrong and Alcaraz.

The Saints stopper was finally called upon to punch clear a teasing cross from a free-kick inside a crowded penalty area, before Rob Dickie attempted to replicate Alejandro Garnacho’s goal of a lifetime at Goodison Park only to get the second loudest cheer of the night, as the central defender failed spectacularly and fell on the seat of his pants.

One-goal leads have not always been Saints’ friend this season, and City entered the last ten minutes very much in with a shout, roared on by 3,000 travelling Bristolians.

Smallbone and Joe Aribo were summoned to freshen up the midfield, while Downes proved Martin was right to leave him on with a lung-busting run and tackle to halt a late counter, as Saints returned to winning ways and extended their unbeaten run to ten matches.

Southampton: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning (Bree 90), Charles (Aribo 82), Downes, S Armstrong (Smallbone 82), A Armstrong (c), Alcaraz, Kamaldeen (Adams 35).

Unused substitutes: Lumley, Holgate, Fraser, Edozie, Mara.

Goals: Walker-Peters (47’).

Yellow cards: A Armstrong, Walker-Peters, Manning.

Bristol City: O’Leary, Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, Naismith (Williams 70), Sykes (Mehmeti 76), Gardner-Hickman, James (c), Bell (Weimann 64), Conway (Cornick 64), Knight.

Unused substitutes: Bajic, Knight-Lebel, Yeboah.

Yellow cards: Vyner.

Referee: Keith Stroud.

Attendance: 28,047.