Maya Yoshida made just his second start of the Premier League season as Southampton beat Cardiff City 3-0 on Boxing Day.
The 25-year old Japan international played a full 90 minutes in central defence as Mauricio Pochettino's side produced their first victory in seven matches.
Yoshida's only other start was in the December 4 loss to Aston Villa but his return to the side helped guide the Saints to a much-needed win with Jay Rodriguez on target twice and Rickie Lambert also on the scoresheet.
In the Cardiff camp, South Korean midfielder Kim Bo-kyung replaced Aron Gunnarsson in the 80th minute for his 16th appearance of the season.
