Ryan Sessegnon’s stoppage-time winner kept Fulham on course for European qualification as Marco Silva’s team came from behind to beat Southampton 2-1 at St Mary’s Stadium.
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Southampton in 20th, looked primed to surpass the record-low Premier League points tally of 11 they share with the Derby County team of 2007/08 thanks to an early goal from Jack Stephens.
Yet there wait will go on after a late capitulation, sparked by Emile Smith Rowe’s deflected 72nd-minute strike.
Smith Rowe and Raul Jimenez both went close to a second for the visitors, but it was Sessegnon who delivered, brilliantly planting a diving header into the bottom-left corner.
The win leaves Fulham in eighth on 51 points, the same as ninth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion and two ahead of AFC Bournemouth, who face Manchester United on Sunday.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
34 | +19 | 60 |
| 6 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
33 | +14 | 60 |
| 7 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
34 | +5 | 57 |
| 8 |
Fulham
FUL
|
34 | +4 | 51 |
| 9 |
Brighton
BHA
|
34 | +1 | 51 |
| 10 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
33 | +12 | 49 |
How the match unfolded
Sessegnon and Willian combined sharply early on for Fulham, with Willian – still chasing his first goal since rejoining the club – curling a lovely effort just wide of a post in the 12th minute.
But against the run of play, Southampton struck two minutes later when Stephens flicked in Ryan Manning’s set-piece, leaving Bernd Leno rooted to the spot.
Southampton appealed for a penalty soon after when Ross Stewart, played through smartly by Kyle Walker-Peters, went down under Calvin Bassey's challenge, but referee Tony Harrington waved play on, before Stephens showed his worth defensively with a vital intervention to clear Andreas Pereira’s cross.
Willian struck a post as Fulham came out of the traps in the second half, though the woodwork came to the visitors’ rescue from a Cameron Archer attempt at the other end.
But Southampton responded almost immediately, with Walker-Peters charging into the box and forcing Leno into a sharp diving save with a powerful strike across goal.
Yet when Smith Rowe’s effort deflected in off Jan Bednarek, Fulham finally had momentum.
Aaron Ramsdale denied his former Arsenal team-mate a second but could do little to prevent Sessegnon’s excellent header creeping home in the 92nd minute.
Saints show some fight but fail to hold on
With their fate already sealed, Southampton’s task now is to get at least one more point to avoid equalling that unwanted record set by Derby 17 years ago.
Interim boss Simon Rusk would have been keen to build on his side’s spirited 1-1 draw with West Ham United last time out to end the season strongly and deliver Southampton their first win since February, and they got off to just the right kind of start, halting Fulham’s rhythm with some controlled possession before Stephens nodded in the opener in the 14th minute.
Southampton carried on with the crowd right behind them, leading to a resolute defensive display to protect their lead heading into half-time.
Archer struck the frame of the goal with a driven cross-shot as Rusk’s side continued to keep Fulham at bay, but the Cottagers’ improved second-half display eventually took its toll, with the hosts running out of steam at a crucial time.
Next up is a match with fellow relegated team Leicester City, and Rusk will view that as an ideal opportunity to get that crucial point.
Silva’s substitutes spark incredible comeback
After squandering a golden chance to boost their European hopes when they capitulated late on against Chelsea, Fulham knew a win was required to keep them in the race.
But Stephens' opener dealt the Cottagers a heavy blow, and they struggled to gain a real foothold in the game after that, mustering only a handful of half-chances through Alex Iwobi and Jimenez.
The latter had the best of them, finding space in the box to meet a floated cross on the stroke of half-time, but Jimenez could only drag his shot frustratingly wide.
A significantly improved second-half performance saw Fulham regain some control and Silva’s substitutions played a huge part. Adama Traore set up Willian to hit a post, while Jimenez kept Southampton on their toes.
But it was Smith Rowe who provided the breakthrough, albeit helped by a bit of luck, sparking a grand stand finish.
The final say belonged to Sessegnon, and if Fulham are to push on in their quest for Europe, they will have to build on this momentum when they face Aston Villa next.
Club reports
Southampton report | Fulham report
What the managers said
Simon Rusk: "It is a cruel game. Last week we scored a late goal, this week we concede a late goal. Of course it is a tough one to take but we need to digest it and bounce back."
Marco Silva: "We have to do our job and that is to play each game as a final and win every game that we can. We know to be in the position we are in right now and to be fighting for something important means that this group of players have been doing something very good."
Remaining PL fixtures
Key facts
Southampton have lost 14 Premier League home games this season, with only Watford in 2021/22 (15) losing more matches on home soil in a single campaign in the competition’s history.
Southampton have dropped 28 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, more than any other side.
Fulham have scored three 90th minute winners in the Premier League this season, more than any other side. Meanwhile, Southampton have conceded 11 goals after 90+ minutes in the Premier League this season, the joint most by a side in a single campaign in the competition’s history alongside Burnley in 2018/19.
Fulham have had 15 goals scored by substitutes in the Premier League this season, the joint most of any side in a single season in the competition’s history (also 15 for Arsenal in 2009/10, Man City in 2011/12 and Liverpool in 2015/16).
