Southampton goalscorer Stuart Armstrong lauded the impact of the returning fans inside St Mary's Stadium on Sunday afternoon, after they were treated to three superb goals against Sheffield United.
Armstrong's strike was sandwiched between goals from Ché Adams and Nathan Redmond to seal all three points, lifting Saints into third position in the league - temporarily at least.
The Scot recanted how Saints' recent success had been centred around their pressing game, but how the team are also now growing in confidence with the ball, as evidenced by today's trio of well-worked goals.
"We work on pressing a lot but we've also slowly been introducing the possession side to our game," Armstrong commented. "Today was a perfect example of that; a high press but also a calmness and composure with the ball. We created a lot of chances despite them sitting back.
"It's been a while without fans and we've had some really bright performances so it's been a shame they've not been here to see them.
stuart armstrong
when you get three points in front of your own fans it's extra special.
southampton player
"Today was, first and foremost, about getting a good result but to top that off with a performance like that was a nice thing for the fans to see and great for the whole team.
"Our fans were probably subject to a lot of poor performances and not enough points picked up at home [before the lockdown], but I think we've turned that around. Hopefully that's a good building block for the future, especially at home.
"As time has gone on, we've missed the fans more. We've missed the atmosphere, those little things in a game that give you an extra edge or lift.
"When you get three points in front of your own fans it's extra special and we're very pleased to have them back."
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