Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis ‘won the battle’ against Portsmouth striker Colby Bishop on Sunday, says the Daily Echo reporter George Rees-Julian.
Southampton drew 1-1 against their rivals at Fratton Park over the weekend. Winger Leo Scienza scored their goal against Pompey early in the second half before Ebou Adams equalised for the hosts.
Harwood-Bellis, 23, made his 26th appearance of the season in all competitions in the heart of defence. He partnered Jack Stephens and was tasked with marking Bishop.
Journalist Rees-Julian has delivered his verdict on the player’s performance, as per a report by the Daily Echo: “Won the battle against Colby Bishop but took a few needless risks in the first half. Won all of his ground duels and six of his nine aerial duels. Initially cleared off the line before Saints failed to get it away for Portsmouth’s equaliser.”
Southampton are sat in 15th place in the Championship table after 29 fixtures and are seven points off the play-offs. They were relegated from the Premier League last year after finishing in the bottom three along with Ipswich Town and Leicester City and their aim in this campaign was to achieve an immediate promotion back to the top flight.
Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis catches eye
Southampton will be hoping to keep hold of Harwood-Bellis beyond the end of the January transfer window. He has been linked with a potential return to Burnley, via a report by FourFourTwo.
He is under contract with the Saints until the summer of 2028 so they are under no immediate pressure to cash in. They won’t want to lose him, especially halfway through this term.
The Saints signed Harwood-Bellis back in 2023 on an initial loan deal that was later made permanent. He has played 63 matches altogether and has found the net on six occasions.
Harwood-Bellis, who is from Stockport, rose up through the academy at Manchester City and was a regular for the North West giants at various different youth levels. He went on to play eight times for the first-team at the Etihad Stadium under Pep Guardiola, as well as having loans away at Blackburn Rovers, Anderlecht, Stoke City and Burnley to get some experience under his belt.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis stats at Southampton this season
| Games | Goals | Assists |
| 26 | 4 | 2 |
What now for Southampton and Taylor Harwood-Bellis?
Southampton are back in action this weekend as they aim to build on their point against Portsmouth. They may feel disappointed that they didn’t win last time out, especially after taking the lead.
The Saints face an away trip to the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday to play Stoke City. Their upcoming opponents are on the brink of the top six.
Harwood-Bellis will be hoping for more of the same against the Potters in terms of his own performance. Tonda Eckert will want his team to find a bit more consistency over the coming weeks as they aim to rise up the division and get closer to the promotion picture if possible.
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