Joe Aribo speaks after scoring his first goal of the year
Nigerian midfielder Joe Aribo scored his first goal of the year as Southampton defeated Swansea City, 5-0 in the Championship on Boxing day.
In his post-match reaction, Aribo expressed his surprise upon hearing his own goal music after scoring the opening goal in Southampton’s 5-0 thrashing of Swansea on Boxing Day.
Aribo’s deflected strike marked his first goal of the season and ended a 451-day goal drought at Southampton. The stadium played “Gold” by Spandau Ballet, a reference to the chant that phonetically spells Aribo’s name to the song’s tune.
Aribo described the feeling as amazing and acknowledged the support of the fans, referring to them as the team’s twelfth man.
Southampton’s impressive run includes 12 goals scored without conceding in their last four home games, extending their home unbeaten streak to six games.
The midfielder credited the team’s unity and willingness to “fight for each other” as key factors in their recent success.
He highlighted the importance of being solid as a unit, expressing confidence, and maintaining a free-flowing style of play. A
ribo acknowledged the quality in the dressing room and emphasized the impact of positive performances on the team’s confidence.
HIS COMMENTS
“It’s an amazing feeling for me and a long time coming.
“It’s the first time I’ve heard it. It’s a very good song to be fair. For us they (the fans) are amazing. They are our twelfth man.
“When they are behind us it is an amazing feeling. They give us the confidence.”
“It’s an amazing feeling. It is so fitting to score so many goals when you are putting in good performances,” Aribo continued.
“It’s so important for us to be solid as a unit. When everyone is fighting for each other it’s going to be hard to break us down.
“That’s where the clean sheets have come from. We have also been clinical and relentless in front of goal.
“We have got quality in the dressing room. Sometimes you might snatch at a shot when you are missing a lot of chances.
“When you are confident and free flowing you can be calm and collected. That confidence comes from performances.
“We have been playing well so of course we are going to feel confident and try things. The manager tells us to express ourselves in the final third.”
