Southampton relegated from EPL after Fulham loss

Southampton will officially be relegated from the Premier League at the end of the current campaign.

The Saints learned their fate following a 2-0 loss at home to Fulham on Saturday. They are the first English top-flight club to be relegated this season.

Fulham piled on the pressure thanks to a goal from Carlos Vinicius just minutes after the second half began. The hosts had a goal ruled out for offside only moments before the Brazilian striker’s goal.

Aleksandar Mitrovic essentially put the final nail in the coffin for the Saints with his team’s second goal of the game in the 72nd minute.

Different coaches, same results for the Saints

The Saints will now go down to the Championship after 11 consecutive seasons in the top flight. Team brass tried to make changes throughout the campaign to save the club, but it failed. Three different head coaches took charge of the South Coast club during the season.

Nevertheless, Southampton drop after failing to collect a league victory since March 4th. This is a stretch of 11 total games. They only managed to grab one point over their final eight matches. In all, the Saints have won just six of 36 games so far during the 2022/23 season.

Saints players stay on pitch following loss

Following the disappointing home defeat, Saints players remained on the Saint Mary’s Stadium pitch to thank and apologize to the fans. Although the stands were essentially half empty, the remaining supporters mixed in boos and claps as the players made their way around the arena.

With relegation in the near future, James Ward-Prowse could very well leave the team this summer. The club’s captain is one of the top free kick takers in Europe and will have plenty of suitors. Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle, and West Ham are reportedly interested in the English midfielder.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Colorsport