As the Saints prepare to return to the Premier League, Southampton manager Russell Martin has praised Joe Aribo for his recent performances in the English Championship division.
For the Saints, who are currently on a four-game winning streak and sit fourth in the English second division, three points behind Leeds United—though Southampton still has a game in hand—Aribo has been playing well lately.The Nigerian international played 90 minutes in Southampton’s 3-2 victory over Watford, including finishing with the most passes in their 3-0 victory over Preston on Tuesday.
These performances have moved Southampton closer to the automatic promotion spots. He also stood out in their 2-1 victory over Coventry, where he created both goals.In Stuart Armstrong’s absence, Aribo dominated the midfield, constantly going after the ball and moving play quickly up field in the first two games.Armstrong made his comeback to the team for the 3-0 thumping of Preston, but Aribo kept his starting position.
Saints are eager for Onuachu to return.Over the course of these games, Aribo was fouled more than any other player—11 times—as the opposition failed to stop him from creating problems.When asked what he thought of Aribo’s performances, coach Martin responded, “He has been outstanding.” Since returning from the AFCON, he has not played a lot of minutes, but he has been outstanding.”He played a tremendous amount of minutes in the last few games.” Joe is an elite athlete.
After missing three or four weeks of play at the AFCON, it took him some time to recover. After an incredible tournament filled with unforgettable moments, he returned and needed some time to catch up.
This season, Aribo has made 31 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, logging 1,314 minutes of play and scoring three goals.