Larin has long looked like the kind of striker who can tilt Championship matches.
That profile matters in this division. Promotion pushes are rarely built on style alone; they are built on repeatable attacking patterns. A striker who can occupy centre-backs, attack crosses and punish loose defending is a major asset over a long season. If reports are accurate, Larin’s double was exactly that kind of reminder.
For Millwall, the reported defeat looks less like a crisis and more like a hard correction. Fast starts create noise, but the Championship has a habit of exposing any side that loses compactness or struggles to defend transitions. If Southampton found space repeatedly, Millwall will need a calmer response than a dramatic one.
Good teams in this league recover quickly. The test now is not the result itself, but the reaction to it.
Southampton are the sort of club expected to carry promotion weight, and performances like this are the reason why. If Larin can lead the line consistently, the squad looks better balanced and more dangerous.
The next question is whether Southampton can turn this reported statement win into momentum, and whether Millwall can show their strong opening was no illusion when the next fixture arrives.