Southampton held Fulham to a 0-0 draw at Craven Cottage in their first Premier League match since manager Russell Martin's departure.
TV Info - Broadcasters
The hosts controlled large spells of the contest, but Saints, under interim boss Simon Rusk, pulled off a resolute defensive display to keep their opponents out in front of new manager Ivan Juric, who watched on from the stands.
The Cottagers were restricted to speculative efforts in the first half but went closest in the 67th minute as Harry Wilson’s close-range effort was kept out by the fit-again Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Adama Traore was inches away from a breakthrough in the closing minutes, but the visitors held on for their first point since a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion last month.
While Southampton remain bottom of the table with six points from 17 matches, Fulham sit ninth on 25 points.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |
Man City
MCI
|
17 | +4 | 27 |
| 8 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
17 | +6 | 26 |
| 9 |
Fulham
FUL
|
17 | +2 | 25 |
| 10 |
Brighton
BHA
|
17 | +1 | 25 |
| 11 |
Spurs
TOT
|
17 | +14 | 23 |
How the match unfolded
Fulham started the brighter of the two sides, with Southampton managing to limit them largely to shots from distance in the first half.
Wilson saw two strikes from the edge of the box sail over the crossbar in the space of two minutes while Alex Iwobi narrowly missed with his attempt to curl a shot into the top corner just after the half-hour mark.
Southampton pushed forward after the break, eventually testing Bernd Leno for the first time in the 56th minute, though Adam Armstrong’s effort was straight at the goalkeeper.
Ramsdale made his best save of the match to deny Wilson shortly after, as the midfielder met a Traore cross at the far post with a fierce shot.
Fulham had one last chance for a breakthrough with three minutes left on the clock when Traore picked up possession at the edge of the box, but his left-footed strike sailed inches wide of the goal.
Encouragement for Juric
Newly-appointed Southampton manager Juric only had a watching brief at Craven Cottage as Rusk continued in interim charge for the second consecutive match.
But the Croat would have taken plenty of encouragement from the performance – especially considering the manner in which Southampton conceded five goals in the first half against Tottenham Hotspur in the final match of Martin’s reign last weekend.
Having also given Liverpool a run for their money in the 2-1 EFL Cup defeat on Wednesday, Juric will hope to build on the two positive performances as he attempts to guide the bottom-placed club to safety.
Ramsdale returned in goal for the Saints, wearing a special four-fingered glove to protect his broken finger, and played a big part in the draw, while Yukinari Sugawara and Kyle Walker-Peters also impressed after coming in as wing-backs.
Saints will now hope to produce more of the same against West Ham United, with their new boss expected to be in the dugout for the first time at St. Mary's Stadium on Boxing Day.
Frustration for Silva
Fulham came into the fixture having scored in their last 15 Premier League outings and would have fancied their chances to keep that run going against a Southampton defence that had conceded 36 goals over their first 16 matches.
Though the hosts dominated the possession and chances in the first half, Marco Silva would not have been pleased with his side’s toothless display as they only really tested Ramsdale once, when Iwobi’s cross whistled dangerously close to the goal in the third minute.
The Nigeria international would go close with a strike from outside the box again before the end of the half as Silva’s side failed to find a breakthrough despite the introductions of Raul Jimenez and Traore in the second half.
Wilson was also a threat, missing his own gilt-edged chance to snatch a win in the second half, but he could not beat Ramsdale after finding a way through Southampton’s stubborn defence.
A win would have moved Fulham level on points with champions Manchester City in seventh place, but Fulham will now hope to get back on track when they face west London rivals Chelsea on Boxing Day.
Club reports
Fulham report | Southampton report
What the managers said
Marco Silva: "We should have won the game definitely. We tried everything from the start, it's impossible to finish a game with more attacking playes in our team. Our attacking line was never really a threat for them.
"We had two or three clear chances, but we should have created more we have to be more incisive, more clinical. It's a missed opportunity for us definitely, that was a game we win if we take better decisions."
Interim manager Simon Rusk: "We wanted to build on solidity for the group, find that balance. We're the first team to deliver a clean sheet here [at Craven Cottage] this season. We're delighted with that. Hopefully it can be a catalyst for the players to build on and move forwards."
Next PL fixtures
Key facts
Fulham drew a Premier League match 0-0 for the first time since May against Brentford – the Cottagers were on the joint-longest scoring streak in England’s top-four tiers before blanking versus Southampton (15 matches – level with Chelsea).
Southampton recorded a goalless draw in the Premier League for the first time since doing so at Old Trafford against Manchester United in March 2023; only Everton (nine) have failed to score in more English top-flight matches this season than Saints (eight), however.
Southampton completed 80 per cent of their passes against Fulham (335/418), their lowest pass accuracy in a league match since May 2023 versus Liverpool under Ruben Selles (74 per cent).
Nine different Premier League matches have seen one or fewer first half total shots on target this season, with Southampton involved in three of them, more than any other team (one today v Fulham, in December v Wolves and in August v Newcastle).
