Following on from their disappointing 2-1 defeat against Norwich City, things didn't go to plan when Southampton took on Liverpool at Anfield where Ralph Hasenhuttl chose to go with a formation of three centre-backs, two wing-backs, two central midfielders and three forwards, which ultimately led to a 4-0 defeat against the Reds.

Next up for the Saints is a midweek league clash against Leicester City who are currently five places and four points above them in the league table.

On the chalkboard

One player that didn't start against Liverpool but managed to make a good cameo appearance off the substitutes bench that should now be in the team to take on Leicester from the start is Nathan Tella.

After replacing Che Adams at the start of the second half at the weekend, Tella did his best to make an impact on the game and managed to show his attacking and defensive capabilities.

Even though he didn't have a shot at goal, Tella created goalscoring opportunities for his teammates by making two key passes and one accurate cross, creating one big chance in the process, a wonderful opportunity at the back post that Adam Armstrong somehow spurned.

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The 22-year-old, who is currently valued at £1.8m according to Transfermarkt, also did his bit from a defensive point of view in the second half against Jurgen Klopp's rampant Reds by making two interceptions, one tackle and one clearance to stop Liverpool from scoring even more goals on the day.

Labelled as an "energetic" player in the past by Hasenhuttl, this latest performance earned Tella an overall match rating of 6.9/10 according to SofaScore, making him the highest-rated Southampton player on what was a rather disheartening day for the south-coast club.

Looking ahead to the Leicester match in midweek, not only would it be in Southampton's best interest if Hasenhuttl didn't go with the same formation that he went with against Liverpool, he should definitely reward Tella for his second-half contributions against Liverpool with a place in the starting XI on Wednesday.

With Armstrong failing to impress against Liverpool, missing that gilt-edged opportunity from Tella's supply line, perhaps he could be the one to make way on this occasion.

In other news: Gao could replicate Adam Armstrong masterclass at Southampton with “elite” 16-goal ace - opinion