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da doce： Southampton midfielder Steven Davis made his first Premier League start of the season in his side’s 3-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Wednesday night, and he impressed.
The Northern Ireland international would have been keen to grasp the opportunity given to him by namesake Kelvin in front of new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, having found game time hard to come by under previous boss Mark Hughes despite being club captain.
The 33-year-old has been linked with a return to Rangers in recent months, but he may just have prolonged his Saints career with his contract due to expire next summer.
On the chalkboard
Hasenhuttl arrives at St Mary’s with a big job on his hands given his newly-inherited side has won just one of their 15 Premier League matches so far this term, and it remains to be seen how quickly he can implement his preferred 4-2-2-2 formation and high-pressing style.
The Austrian coach may feel that experience is key in the battle against the drop in the meantime though, and while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Mario Lemina have the bite and energy needed to be a success in a Hasenhuttl team, Davis clearly offers something a little bit different with the quality that he can bring between the lines.
Can he be a regular starter?
The 5ft 8in Northern Irishman had only played 131 minutes of football prior to his start at Wembley, and he certainly rolled back the years with a brilliant performance, rounded off with an assist for Charlie Austin in injury-time.
Only midfield partner Hojbjerg had more touches than his 76, as per WhoScored, while he made three key passes and had a passing accuracy of more than 95%.
One tackle, one interception and five clearances showed his usefulness defensively, while he showed he has the vision to set his team away on the counter with four of his five long balls finding a teammate.
Davis’ Southampton career looked to be done just a week ago, but now he may have done enough to become more of a regular fixture under the new manager, and perhaps even earn a short-term contract extension.