Southampton defender Lyanco put in an impressive display on Sunday against Arsenal, earning plaudits from The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell.

THE LOWDOWN: LYANCO SHINES FOR SOUTHAMPTON

Amidst the Saints' 1-1 draw against the Premier League leaders was a dramatic second-half recovery which saw the south coast club limit their opposition to just four shots after the interval in what made for a tremendous defensive display.

Starting off as a right-back in Ralph Hasenhuttl's classic 4-4-2 system, Lyanco then operated as a progressive right-sided centre-back in a back-three after the manager tweaked his formation in-game to successfully employ a wing-back setup.

The 25-year-old won six duels along with making seven ball recoveries and four clearances in what made for an inspired defensive performance against the in-form Gunners.

THE LATEST: TANSWELL PRAISES "OUTSTANDING" LYANCO

The defender's efforts caught the eye of one Southampton fan who contributed to The Athletic's matchday discussion forum by asking "How good was Lyanco today?"

It prompted Tanswell to label the former Torino man's performance as "outstanding", with the Brazilian impressing upon his return to the squad.

THE VERDICT: DELIVERED IN THE DEEP END

Lyanco had played just 33 Premier League minutes this season before being chucked into the deep end with his first start of the campaign against league leaders Arsenal.

It was a risk from Hasenhuttl, who was expected to deploy a back-five in response to losing Kyle Walker-Peters to injury. However, the Austrian was brave and chose to deploy the 25-year-old Brazilian, who spectacularly delivered on the day.

His qualities out of possession proved pivotal for the Saints, who truly turned things around in the second half to claim a well-earned point at St Mary's.