Having come through a transitional period with 10 points from four matches, Russell Martin would have been delighted with the start that had been made by his Southampton side.
However, much of the positivity from the opening weeks of the season was lost as Southampton shockingly suffered a 5-0 defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
While seven goals conceded from their first four fixtures suggested that defence was not their forte, the manner in which they succumbed to the Black Cats will concern Martin.
The acquisition of Taylor Harwood-Bellis could prove to be a difference maker in time, yet Martin will not want to heap too much pressure on his shoulders when Southampton as a team need to improve at the back.
On a positive note for the South-coast outfit, they remain in seventh place and have the opportunity to move ahead of their upcoming opponents in the standings.
Like Southampton, Leicester cannot claim to have been convincing during the early weeks of the season under new head coach Enzo Maresca.
Nevertheless, six successive wins – all without scoring more than twice in a single game – were registered before they hosted Hull before the international break.
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Even when going a goal behind during the early stages, Maresca and his Foxes players would have expected to overturn the scoreline, yet it was the Tigers who impressively held out for maximum points.
Although Leicester remain just a point off top spot, succumbing to Hull served as a reminder that they cannot afford to assume that they will earn an immediate return to the Premier League without matching their quality with consistency.
With Che Adams having remained at Southampton, the Scotland international could be recalled to the starting lineup with Sekou Mara dropping out.Harwood-Bellis is in line to make his debut, likely alongside Jan Bednarek, while Shea Charles, Carlos Alcaraz and Ryan Fraser are also pushing for opportunities
