Southampton’s loss to Bournemouth on Monday night made it six games without a win to start the Premier League season, but for their striker Ben Brereton Díaz, it’s been so much longer.
20 games to be precise.
The Chilean striker’s hapless run in the top flight began last January when he moved on loan from Villarreal to Sheffield United, in which time he scored six goals in 14 games, but failed to end up on the winning side.
It’s hard to blame Diaz given the Blades won just three games all season on their way to relegation, and it looks as if the Saints could be going in a similar direction this time around.
While 20 may seem like a lot, there are a few players with a worse run to start life in the English top-flight.
Remarkably considering his stunning career, Gareth Bale didn’t win any of the first 24 Premier League games he played for Tottenham between 2007 and 2009.
His unwanted record was “broken” by Oliver Burke in 2020, who eventually went 27 games without a win while with West Brom and, again, Sheffield United.
Only the eight more to go for Diaz. He’ll be hoping he and his teammates can stop that bit of unwanted history from being made.