Southampton survived a valiant Stoke City fightback to prevail in a five-goal thriller at St Mary's, sealing their place in the EFL Cup quarter-final draw.
Saints defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis got his side up and running when he headed home from a deep corner to open the scoring in the 19th minute.
Adam Armstrong then slotted home from the penalty spot after Yukinari Sugawara was brought down by 17-year-old Jaden Dixon.
Armstrong's first goal of the season appeared to put Southampton on the path to a comfortable evening, only for the visitors to gain a crucial foothold just before the break.
Tottenham Hotspur loanee Ashley Phillips conjured up an improvised finish to send Stoke into the break with renewed belief.
Their hopes of reaching the fifth round only grew strong when Tom Cannon netted his fifth goal of the season to pull Stoke level in the 54th minute.
After working hard to come from two goals down, Million Manhoef looked set to win the contest when he bundled the ball towards the goal, only to see his effort cleared off the line by Sugawara's last-ditch clearance.
The Potters were ultimately made to rue that missed opportunity when James Bree drilled home an unstoppable long-range strike to win the tie in the 88th minute.
Southampton celebrated their progression to the quarter-final for the second time in three seasons, while Stoke can take confidence from a battling performance despite falling just short.
SOUTHAMPTON VS. STOKE CITY HIGHLIGHTS
Harwood-Bellis goal vs. Stoke (19th min, Southampton 1-0 Stoke)
Southampton are ahead! 🔥
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) October 29, 2024
Harwood-Bellis rises the highest and heads the Saints into the lead. pic.twitter.com/WADlxFJQ0k
Saints require less than 20 minutes to open the scoring at St Mary's. Mateus Fernandes's deep corner finds the run of Harwood-Bellis, who towers high to direct his header past the helpless Jack Bonham.
Armstrong goal vs. Stoke (35th min, Southampton 2-0 Stoke)
Adam Armstrong scores from the spot 🎯🔴 pic.twitter.com/ZUIHpY8iAg
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) October 29, 2024
Southampton continue to push forward, and their pressure ultimately forces a mistake from Stoke. Dixon's kick on Sugawara leaves the referee with no other option but to point to the spot. Armstrong steps up to send Bonham the wrong way to open his account for the season.
Phillips goal vs. Southampton (45th min, Southampton 2-1 Stoke)
Stoke City pull a goal back just before half-time against Southampton! âš¡ pic.twitter.com/JhgyRDgTYU
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) October 29, 2024
From out of nowhere, Stoke are back in the contest. Southampton fail to deal with a deep Stoke free kick, and the ball eventually falls to Phillips, who produces an exquisite flick to beat the unmoved Ramsdale.
Cannon goal vs. Southampton (54th min, Southampton 2-2 Stoke)
Stoke City are LEVEL! 🔥
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) October 29, 2024
What a comeback against the Premier League side. pic.twitter.com/gSba5tblxh
Cannon pulls Stoke level at St Mary's. Tatasuki Seko drives with the ball from just inside the Southampton half before offloading it to Junior Tchamadeu, whose driven ball deflects into the path of Cannon. The Leicester City loanee is left with the task of guiding the ball home with his left foot.
Bree goal vs. Southampton (88th min, Southampton 3-2 Stoke)
Bree wins it for the Saints. The former receives the ball outside the box, before firing an accurate shot into the bottom corner to seal Southampton's progression to the quarter-finals.
Southampton have their LEAD BACK! 😨
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) October 29, 2024
With only a few minutes to go, can the Saints hold on? 👀 pic.twitter.com/qg2hL19CKm
MAN OF THE MATCH - TAYLOR HARWOOD-BELLIS
© Imago
Harwood-Bellis edged out Bree and Armstrong for the Man-of-the-Match award after making vital contributions at both ends of the pitch.
The centre-back produced an emphatic header to break the deadlock with his second competitive goal of the season.
Harwood-Bellis also completed 138 of his 142 attempted passes, racking up more passes than any other player on the pitch.
The former Manchester City man contributed without the ball, winning all three of his duels as well as making three recoveries.
SOUTHAMPTON VS. STOKE CITY MATCH STATS
Possession: Southampton 80%-20% Stoke
Shots: Southampton 12-5 Stoke
Shots on target: Southampton 5-2 Stoke
Corners: Southampton 5-0 Stoke
Fouls: Southampton 4-5 Stoke
WHAT NEXT?
After securing their spot in the next round, Southampton will now turn their focus to Saturday's Premier League home clash with Everton.
As for the Potters, they will attempt to end a five-game winless run in all competitions when they face Derby County at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday.
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