Southampton have been relegated from the Premier League and set an embarrassing record in the process.
The Saints’ inevitable relegation from the top-flight of English football was confirmed on Sunday as they were beaten 3-1 by Tottenham.
Brennan Johnson scored a first-half brace for the hosts and Southampton were unable to respond, slipping to their 25th defeat from 31 league games.
Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes did score a consolation goal in injury-time but Spurs went down the other end to put the game to bed through a Mathys Tel penalty.
With seven matches still to play, it is the earliest a Premier League club has ever been relegated in terms of games remaining.
Ipswich Town, Derby County, Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United were all relegated with six games remaining, but Southampton are the first team in Premier League history to know their fate with seven fixtures still left to play.
Southampton’s relegation is the joint-fourth earliest by date, with Derby County still holding that unwanted record following their dismal 2007-08 season.
That season Derby amassed just 11 points – the lowest ever across a Premier League campaign.
Derby fans will be hoping Southampton, currently on ten points, fail to pick up two more in their final seven games and replace them as statistically the worst team in Premier League history.
Southampton have won just two of their 31 league games this season, conceding 73 goals despite signing England international Aaron Ramsdale from Arsenal last summer.
Earliest Premier League relegation by games remaining
Southampton: 2024-25 Season, Seven Games Remaining
Ipswich Town: 1994-95 Season, Six Games Remaining
Derby County: 2007-08 Season, Six Games Remaining
Huddersfield Town: 2018-19 Season, Six Games Remaining
Sheffield United: 2020-21 Season, Six Games Remaining
Leicester City: 1994-95 Season, Five Games Remaining
Sunderland: 2002-03 Season, Five Games Remaining
Sunderland: 2005-06 Season, Five Games Remaining
Portsmouth: 2009-10 Season, Five Games Remaining
Fulham: 2018-19 Season, Five Games Remaining
The Saints gained promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs, beating Leeds United in the Wembley final in the most lucrative game in English football.
But they have been completely out of their depth in the top-flight, sacking Russell Martin in December when their hopes of survival already looked bleak.
The team’s struggles have continued under Ivan Juric and Southampton can now start planning for life in the Championship next season.
The majority of the Southampton fans inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium stayed put after the final whistle to applaud the team who came over to the away end to recognise their support.
Saints captain Jan Bednarek said: ‘Let’s be honest, today is just official but we knew for a few weeks that relegation was coming.
‘It was just a matter of time. Next season, we will be in the Championship, and it is the beginning of something new. We have to build something good around the club.
‘We can’t change the past. The only thing we can do in the last seven games is to enjoy being in the Premier League. We have to improve as players and as a club. Hopefully, we are going to build something great.
‘The best thing is that we can learn, we can work hard and we can improve. Hopefully, we can perform better in the last seven games. We want to get more points, I don’t think 10 is enough. Hopefully, we will get more points.’
https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/football/southampton-set-embarrassing-premier-league-record-as-relegation-is-confirmed/ar-AA1CougW
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