Larin's Late Show Keeps Saints' Unbeaten Run Ticking Along

Just when it looked like Southampton’s growing collection of unbeaten games might come to an abrupt end at The Hawthorns, Cyle Larin popped up in stoppage time to ensure the Saints’ mathematical purists could continue counting.

The Canadian striker’s late intervention rescued a 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion, keeping alive an unbeaten run that has now stretched to 11 games across all competitions. It’s the sort of statistic that sounds rather impressive until you remember this is the Championship, where consistency is about as rare as a reasonably priced pint at St Mary’s.

West Brom had taken the lead at some point during proceedings, presumably thinking they’d done enough to see off visitors who have made something of a habit of avoiding defeat lately. Unfortunately for the Baggies, they hadn’t factored in Southampton’s apparent newfound ability to conjure late drama when required.

Larin’s timely equaliser means the Saints can maintain their current trajectory without the inconvenience of actually having to explain away a defeat. The striker’s knack for appearing at crucial moments continues to serve Southampton well, even if the circumstances suggest this wasn’t exactly a dominant display from the visitors.

The draw keeps Southampton ticking along nicely in their quest for promotion, though one suspects the manner of earning this point - leaving it until the dying moments - might not be sustainable long-term. Still, points are points, and in a division where teams regularly find new and creative ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, there’s something to be said for Saints’ current ability to do precisely the opposite.

Eleven games unbeaten and counting, then. The question now is whether this streak represents genuine momentum or simply delayed disappointment.