Southampton's honourable Premier League mention will surely catch fans off-guard | OneFootball

Southampton midfielder Mateus Fernandes is consistently known for covering every inch of the ground. But, surprisingly, it's Flynn Downes who has made it to the Premier League marathon runners tally.

Midfield, often underrated, is a crucial part of any squad. For a reason, beyond connecting the forwards and the defenders, midfielders are called the engine of the unit.

But when it misfires, things fall apart, just like we've seen at Southampton this season.

You can't help but agree that while Ugochukwu and Smallbone have had some good games, they have been inconsistent. Further, some players like Gronbaek and Adam Lallana have been game-time deprived.

Now, all this has done is pile up the responsibilities on a few names like Mateus Fernandes. Be it creating chances, playing forward or even defending, the Portuguese has been covering every bit of grass lately.

So, naturally, you'd expect Fernandes to be Southampton's marathon man. But, what if I told you there’s another name leading this chart? It's actually, midfielder Flynn Downes.

Premier League tally mention to fuel Flynn Downes' comeback

This is per The Analyst's most ground-covered tally in which Downes represents Southampton in the 5th position. Averaging around 11.6 km per game, the Englishman falls short of just four players in the Premier League metric.

Well, I know this must have brought a proud smile to your face, but admit it, you were startled at first, right?

After all, how does a rare lineup man, Downes make it into this decorated list? If this is you, you should know the midfielder's inconsistency has been due to on and off-the-field issues, not because of his quality.

Had it not been for a difficult start under Juric that led to a fallout, Downes might have been Southampton’s most consistent midfielder. This is the least we can confidently predict based on his last season's contributions for Southampton.

But, hey thankfully Downes has returned to the first team setup again. Though not the best of returns, we all know his quality at his best. Let's hope we see that version of Flynn Downes soon again.