Southampton face West Brom in the first leg of their championship play-off semi-final on Sunday.
The game at The Hawthorns is the first of what Southampton will hope will be three huge clashes culminating in promotion to the Premier League at Wembley on May 26th.
Manager Russell Martin will be pleased that his side are going into the two-legged affair with West Brom on the back of a strong win away at fellow play-off side Leeds United on the final day of the regular Championship season.
There was no time to dwell on that 2-1 victory though, as attention turned immediately to beating a Baggies side that the Saints have already had success over twice this campaign.
Playing the away leg first is a real advantage for Southampton – which they gained from finishing above their semi-final opponents – but it does mean the Saints must be wary of being blown away by the atmosphere and likely fast start from West Brom.
Martin will no doubt be telling his players that they need to settle into their own passing game and quieten the crowd, with one player in particular likely to be key to that.
Joe Aribo must get on the ball as much as possible v West Brom
After a difficult debut season at the club last year, Joe Aribo has really come to the fore as this campaign has progressed.
The Nigerian midfielder is a player who can look awkward given his unorthodox style, but he has proven to be a valuable player under Martin’s management.
His main attributes are his strength and ability to protect the ball and both of these tools will be very important against West Brom, particularly in the early stages, to dampen what will be a raucous atmosphere.
With Stuart Armstrong out injured, Aribo takes on huge responsibility in the Southampton midfield, moving his side through the thirds with his ball carrying ability or offering a passing option to teammates despite being under pressure given his physicality.
Although Martin switched to a different shape from his usual 4-3-3 in the win over Leeds, Aribo will have a similar role to play as an all-action midfielder regardless of system.
In that Leeds triumph, Aribo was outstanding from a defensive perspective as he won six of his nine duels and was fouled four ties to relieve the pressure on his team according to Sofascore.
Russell Martin now trusts ‘amazing’ Aribo
Aribo was absent for most of pre-season through injury, but when he returned it was clear the man signed for £6 million did not have the trust of his manager.
The 27-year-old had to bide his time and started just one league game up until the 9th December, where he came in for the ill Flynn Downes for a 1-1 draw at Watford.
Aribo was impressive that day and subsequently started five of the next six Championship games before departing to represent Nigeria at the African Cup of Nations in January.
What is now clear is that Martin really values the midfielder and the skillset he brings to the side.
Speaking to Southampton’s club website about Aribo after he scored in a 5-0 win over Swansea City on Boxing Day, Martin said: “He’s been amazing. He’s had to be so patient. He had to wait for his chance because he came back late because he was away with Nigeria, then got injured, was out for a few weeks.
“And when you miss pre-season it’s really tough. And the team was becoming settled at that point and we hadn’t seen the best of him because he was fighting for fitness whilst training, whilst the games were going on. It’s so difficult.
“But he’s been a brilliant teammate, an amazing character as you know. He’s humble, works hard, smiling. I’ve not seen many players or teammates that are as popular as him, even when you’re not playing, which is like the biggest credit to him, really.”
Southampton will need big characters to as they attempt to navigate the play-offs and the fact that Aribo has started eight of the last nine games suggests Martin now believes he has one he can trust.