Southampton’s 11-year stay in the Premier League ended in tame fashion as their relegation was confirmed with defeat at home by Fulham.
Aleksandar Mitrovic, making his return from an eight-game ban for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh, sealed Saints’ fate with a stooping header after Carlos Vinicius’ opener.
The hosts could have few complaints about the outcome after producing a muted performance despite knowing they had to win to have any chance of pulling off an unlikely survival mission.
They did have a Carlos Alcaraz strike disallowed for a marginal offside just before Vinicius broke the deadlock but the confident Cottagers were comfortably the better side.
Willian’s first-half volley was cleared off the line by fellow Brazilian Lyanco, who had earlier been fortunate to escape a video assistant referee’s penalty check for handball.
But Vinicius tucked home after Lyanco’s clearance ricocheted to him kindly off Harrison Reed and Mitrovic nodded in his 12th league goal of the season from Harry Wilson’s cross.
Southampton, lethargic throughout, had no response after falling behind and will be playing Championship football next season for the first time since 2012.
More to follow.
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Southampton
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Squad number1Player nameMcCarthy
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Squad number2Player nameWalker-Peters
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Squad number35Player nameBednarek
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Squad number4Player nameLyanco
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Squad number3Player nameMaitland-Niles
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Squad number8Player nameWard-Prowse
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Squad number45Player nameLavia
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Squad number32Player nameWalcott
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Squad number26Player nameAlcaraz
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Squad number17Player nameS Armstrong
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Squad number12Player nameOnuachu
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Squad number9Player nameA Armstrong
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Squad number18Player nameMara
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Squad number19Player nameDjenepo
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Squad number20Player nameSulemana
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Squad number24Player nameElyounoussi
Fulham
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Squad number17Player nameLeno
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Squad number2Player nameTete
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Squad number4Player nameTosin
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Squad number31Player nameDiop
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Squad number33Player nameRobinson
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Squad number6Player nameReed
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Squad number26Player nameJoão Palhinha
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Squad number8Player nameWilson
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Squad number10Player nameCairney
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Squad number20Player nameWillian
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Squad number30Player nameCarlos Vinícius
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Squad number7Player nameKebano
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Squad number9Player nameMitrovic
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Squad number11Player nameSolomon
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Squad number14Player nameDe Cordova-Reid
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Squad number28Player nameLukic
Line-ups
Southampton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1McCarthy
- 2Walker-Peters
- 35Bednarek
- 4Lyanco
- 3Maitland-NilesSubstituted forA Armstrongat 82′minutes
- 8Ward-Prowse
- 45LaviaBooked at 53mins
- 32WalcottSubstituted forSulemanaat 62′minutes
- 26AlcarazSubstituted forElyounoussiat 73′minutes
- 17S ArmstrongSubstituted forDjenepoat 73′minutesBooked at 77mins
- 12OnuachuSubstituted forMaraat 62′minutes
Substitutes
- 6Caleta-Car
- 7Aribo
- 9A Armstrong
- 14Bree
- 18Mara
- 19Djenepo
- 20Sulemana
- 24Elyounoussi
- 31Bazunu
Fulham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 17Leno
- 2Tete
- 4Tosin
- 31Diop
- 33Robinson
- 6Reed
- 26João PalhinhaSubstituted forLukicat 77′minutes
- 8WilsonSubstituted forKebanoat 78′minutes
- 10CairneySubstituted forDe Cordova-Reidat 69′minutes
- 20WillianSubstituted forSolomonat 78′minutes
- 30Carlos ViníciusSubstituted forMitrovicat 65′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Rodák
- 5Duffy
- 7Kebano
- 9Mitrovic
- 11Solomon
- 12Cédric Soares
- 14De Cordova-Reid
- 28Lukic
- 38Harris
Live Text
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Match ends, Southampton 0, Fulham 2.
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Second Half ends, Southampton 0, Fulham 2.
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Attempt saved. Manor Solomon (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Bobby De Cordova-Reid.
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Foul by Bobby De Cordova-Reid (Fulham).
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Lyanco (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Kenny Tete (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Moussa Djenepo (Southampton).
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Harrison Reed (Fulham) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Moussa Djenepo (Southampton).
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Foul by Manor Solomon (Fulham).
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Moussa Djenepo (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Lyanco.
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Foul by Sasa Lukic (Fulham).
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James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match because of an injury Manor Solomon (Fulham).
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Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Jan Bednarek.
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Attempt blocked. Roméo Lavia (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Moussa Djenepo.
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Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Issa Diop.
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Attempt blocked. Kamaldeen Sulemana (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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