It has been a long time coming.
Sofiane Boufal finally made his first start for Southampton since joining for a club-record fee of £15 million from Ligue 1 side Lille.
The Moroccan international has had to bide his time on the sidelines due to injury and the form of his teammates. But on last night’s evidence, Boufal could become a permanent fixture under Claude Puel.
Boufal provided the moment of magic to send his side through to the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
Producing an immaculate first touch, Boufal let fly with 66 minutes on the clock to condemn Sunderland to another defeat, while whetting the appetites of every Saints fan across the country.