Southampton vs. Fulham – Football Match Report – May 13, 2023

Southampton had been relegated from the Premier League after being overwhelmed 2-0 at residence by Fulham on Saturday, bringing an finish to their 11-yr spell within the English high flight.

The defeat means Southampton, who wanted a win to stave off relegation, can now not reel in seventeenth-positioned Everton. Ruben Selles’ facet are backside of the league on 24 factors from 36 video games, whereas Fulham’s win strikes them as much as ninth.

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“It’s disappointing. It is a moment that has been coming. We knew we had put ourselves in a difficult position,” Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse stated.

“I believe we should be performing at a better level than we have done and we have not done that on a consistent basis. The standards have slipped away and that is why we are where we are now.”

Ward-Prowse, who got here via Southampton’s academy, has made 341 Premier League appearances for the membership, however might go away within the shut season switch window.

“Over the last 10 years we have had that kind of consistency and that has wavered. It will be testing for everybody but these are the times that make you as a player and as a club, we have done it before and we will do it again,” the 28-yr-previous stated.

The membership’s homeowners Sport Republic described the relegation as “hugely disappointing”.

“We have fought tirelessly as a club throughout the season, but the Premier League is the most competitive league in the world and our results were simply not good enough to stay there,” they stated in an announcement.

“While this outcome is distressing for all of us, now is the time to demonstrate unity.

“Our work begins immediately to return Southampton Football Club — an inaugural member of the Premier League with a wealthy historical past — to the place it belongs. Our objective is to return to the Premier League as quickly as potential and be sure that we keep there.”

In a scrappy and disjointed opening 45 minutes on Saturday, neither facet had been capable of take management of the sport, with Fulham having extra possession and barely higher makes an attempt however no luck in entrance of objective.

Both groups tried to play with extra attacking intent within the second half, as Carlos Alcaraz had a objective disallowed earlier than Carlos Vinicius latched on to a free ball in Southampton’s field and tapped residence the opener for Fulham within the forty eighth minute.

Substitute Aleksandar Mitrovic then marked his return from an eight-match ban with a objective, sealing the win for Fulham at St Mary’s Stadium with a stooping header within the 72nd minute.

Southampton had the lion’s share of possession within the closing spell, however had been unable to create something of observe and stop a return to the second-tier Championship, with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a Southampton native, watching from the stands.