Big jump for Southampton

Saints beat South coast rival Portsmouth 2-0 in the League Cup last week. It moved from 13th to eighth in the standings with the win. Charlton stayed sixth. Saints had been cruising at 2-0 up — with goals from Omerod and Michael Svensson — until Charlton midfielder Scott Parker scored two impressive second half goals to level the scores.

Parker’s first in the 46th was a powerful drive which went just beyond diving Southampton ’keeper Antti Niemi. He then chipped the ball over the Southampton defence into back of net while Niemi stood watching in the 65th minute.

“Charlton scored two wonder goals and there’s not much you can do about that — I felt sorry for them for a while,” Southampton manager Gordon Stratchan said. “But we’re a team whose energy takes us onto the next level.”

Earlier, Manchester City was held to a 0-0 draw against Everton. Kevin Keegan’s City has only scored one goal in six matches and gone seven matches without a win. Everton stays in the bottom three, with its fifth draw of the season.

“Because we are lacking in confidence, and that also applied to Everton, we are unable to play the final pass or make the correct decisions in possession,” Keegan said. “If you have had a run like we are in, you do tend to err on the side of caution and not take risks. But it will come.”

Everton nearly took the points in the final moments, but Thomas Graveson hit the post. City had the better chances, with Trevor Sinclair seeing two headers go wide, and Robbie Fowler and Richard Dunne also going close.

Manchester City goalkeeper David Seaman was taken off in the 52nd minute with a rib problem. The former England and Arsenal ’keeper was replaced by Kevin Ellegaard.

On Saturday, Chelsea and Arsenal stumbled to 1-1 draws, while Manchester United strikers Ruud van Nistelrooy and Diego Forlan scored two goals each in a 4-0 rout of Aston Villa. Chelsea remained top of the standings with 36 points.