Southampton striker Paul Onuachu delivered an impressive performance in his first Premier League start of the season, despite a worrying injury scare that saw him substituted early in the second half.

Southampton welcomed Liverpool to St. Mary’s on Sunday in an enthralling 3-2 encounter. Super Eagles forward Paul Onuachu was handed a rare starting role by manager Russell Martin, and he made the most of the opportunity.

In the first half, Onuachu demonstrated his value with an all-round display. Remarkably, the towering Nigerian forward recorded more successful dribbles than the entire Liverpool team while also working tirelessly to assist Southampton’s defense against relentless pressure.

However, Onuachu’s outing was cut short in the 58th minute after he went down clutching his knee following a heavy challenge from Liverpool’s Darwin Núñez. Fears of a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury arose as the striker was unable to continue.

After the match, Russell Martin reassured fans, suggesting that the substitution might have been precautionary.

“Paul probably deserved to start before now, the way he’s trained – he’s been so good. He was really good, so I hope his injury is nothing too serious. It’s just a bit of fatigue, but I thought he played really, really well,” Martin said in a post-match press conference.

Onuachu’s display, marked by skill and defensive contribution, could potentially earn him more minutes in future fixtures as Southampton look to climb the league standings.