Dusan Tadic double downs Norwich and eases worries for Ronald Koeman

Southampton 3 Norwich 0

Southampton needed this. After the disappointment of their Europa League exit and the general sense that they were fighting both for form and to retain their star players, they freed themselves from the shackles to put Norwich City to the sword.

Sadio Mane, who has been targeted by Manchester United, returned from the hip problem that had seen him miss the Europa League play-off loss to Midtjylland on Thursday, to set up the opening two goals, while Dusan Tadic, who was also back in the line-up after recent difficulties, pepped his confidence with two goals.

Norwich were second best in all areas but the game turned for them on Steven Whittaker's sending-off after 30 minutes for two bookings. The breakthrough goal arrived just before half-time. Ward-Prowse won possession and he found Mane, who slipped a ball in for Graziano Pellè. The striker had bought a yard of space from Russell Martin with his run towards the near post and he rammed his finish low past Ruddy.

In the second half Norwich were pinned back and they could not escape. Mane’s pull back from the right invited Tadic to run on to it and curl home with the inside of his right foot. It was a smart finish and Tadic’s second followed shortly afterwards, after Ruddy had pushed out Pellè’s header from Cedric Soares’s cross. He could not miss from point-blank range. Guardian Service