Let's talk about it: Five talking points from Southampton 0-0 Bolton Wanderers

Steven Schumacher's side became only the second team in 2026 to stop the Saints from scoring at home, and had enough chances to win the game themselves. From a run of two games on the road against promotion chasing teams the Whites picked up four points, seeing them well away from the bottom three.

Wanderers defensive unit has made particular improvement. Stopping simple mistakes in the two road games, and impressing at St Mary's, nullifying one of the Championship's best attacking teams.

Against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Lewis Brunt returned to the backline, partnering Eoin Toal in central defence. Not only did it mark the defender's first appearance since his injury at Millwall last month, but it was the 25-year-old's first start in the central area.

Like a lot of defensive players Bolton brought in this summer, Brunt offers a lot of versatility and covered at right-back when Wanderers had a number of injuries to begin the season. Now, the defender who signed from Wrexham this summer, is playing exactly where he wants to, and you can tell.

Brunt's pace and tackling has proved invaluable to the Whites backline, and the defender has performed exceptionally in the last two games.

Against Wolves, Brunt did not get his plaudits due to the attacking potency Wanderers put on display but he certainly has following the draw at Southampton. The 25-year-old mopped up everything, being a massive part of the highline Bolton played. His tackling timing was no less than on-point and probably was the team's best player in the game, and maybe over the last two games.

Brunt joined for a minimal fee from Wrexham in the summer, signing a four-year deal, one that is now looking like an absolute bargain for Schumacher's team.

Bolton Wanderers captain has struggled to get into life in the Championship, but Eoin Toal's form over the last two games has shown a real sign of improvement.

The 27-year-old began the season still recovering from the injury that kept him out of the play-off final, so was already on the backfoot. Since coming in as Chris Forino dropped out, the first couple of games showed a player getting up speed both in the league and fitness wise.

Whilst Toal's pace has been an asset, the defender has struggled with the step up in physicality and awareness. Something that was on show alongside Ben Davies in the loss to Stoke City, where two defensive lapses really cost Wanderers.

Toal was always growing, but the partnership with Brunt has helped him leaps and bounds. The defensive performance over the last two games has been almost flawless, and the 27-year-old has been a key part of it.

Against Southampton, Toal made eight defensive contributions, five clearances, two interceptions and did not get dribbled past once in the 90 minutes. Whilst the defender was good against Wolves, the performance at St Mary's was one that could be seen as a breakout moment for the Northern Ireland international in the Championship.

Post-game, the returning Luca Stephenson said that this team had so much confidence, and in every game you can see it more, and more. Coming up from League One, Bolton Wanderers have no right to take on teams pushing for promotion to the Premier League and yet here we are, with four points from two games against THOSE teams.

Not only that, Wanderers beat Wolves and could have beaten Southampton, the opportunities were there.

Schumacher promised Bolton would do things their way and it rightly has them believing they can beat anyone. As fans, it's everything you could want. Wanderers are going into every game with a solid game plan, but the confidence they can apply more than just that.

Josh Sheehan looks like he's been in the Championship forever, Thierry Gale, when on-form, is a winger ready for the level, Toal and Brunt look like a solid defensive partnership and that's before Forino returns to the side. All of that and we haven't even mentioned how Ethan Erhahon, Sam Dalby and Gaizka Larrazabal have played.

If Bolton can turn this confidence into more form, specifically form at home then a Championship relegation fight doesn't even need to be put in the calendar, and Wanderers first season back in the second tier can be as close to easy and breezy as possible.

There's only a few conundrums for Schumacher to think about after this game, and one of it comes to who does he start up top.

It's clear that Dalby and Theo Bair are at the top of the tree when it comes to strikers in this team.

Dalby has had the starting spot for most of the time, and for the majority of games has taken his chance. That being said, the 26-year-old had a huge impact off the bench on Tuesday night, netting Bolton's second. It's not the first time Dalby has looked improved coming on later in a game. The overhead kick that helped seal the play-off final involved the striker coming off the bench.

On Saturday Dalby had one of those games where chances were few and far between. Held the ball up well, but saw his impact limited, tiring as the match came to a close.

I say this as Bair, who got his first start on Tuesday, has been coming off the bench to have an impact but his start showed him have that impact, from the off.

The Canadian's goal and assist have come from the bench and whilst he did not score against Wolves looked lively from minute one, where as Dalby often takes some time to get into a game, getting better as time goes on.

The two players will be key for Bolton this season, but Schumacher will either have to decide who to start, or keep switching between the pair. In truth, it's not a bad problem to have but it will be interesting to see where the Bolton boss goes from here with striking options.

This week and Saturday has proved that Bolton can turn their good performances into points. What Schumacher's team need to begin doing now is doing the same against teams that sit below the top-half of the table.

Wanderers have only beaten two teams that were below them when they played them, with the other two and the team's two draws coming against teams that sat above them in the league.

As the Whites return home, they face Middlesbrough, before out-of-form Bristol City, with the latter having a chance to be below them in the league.

Another scalp against Boro would be fantastic, but beating the teams below them will be even more important to guide Bolton up the table and one step closer to safety.

Wanderers are doing what they need to do right now as underdogs, if they do the same in games that they aren't, this team will not have a ceiling.