Southampton 0-1 Bournemouth: Marcus Tavernier goal pushes Saints closer to relegation
Bournemouth edged closer to Premier League survival and delivered a huge blow to bottom side Southampton with an impressive away win at St Mary’s.
Marcus Tavernier’s deflected strike five minutes after the break enabled the Cherries to recover from the 4-0 home defeat to West Ham and open up a seven-point cushion to the relegation places.
Southampton’s peril at the bottom deepens as they lie six points from safety with just five games remaining, short on ideas after a night where they felt the frustration of the home fans following a bright start.
Bournemouth were rewarded for playing the more composed and ordered football, bringing them a third win in four league games as they move towards safety on 36 points.
Substitute Che Adams thought he had snatched a point with a late strike but it was ruled out for offside after a VAR check, compounding Saints’ misery.
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Cherries revival continues
Bournemouth’s latest win only adds to the fine body of work put together by manager Gary O’Neil since he succeeded sacked Scott Parker on a permanent basis.
From looking likely relegation candidates, O’Neil’s calm and composed manner has been reflected in the style with which Bournemouth closed out a deserved triumph at St Mary’s.
“I thought we were excellent, we were by far the better side and I was disappointed we had to hang on at the end because we’d only scored one,” O’Neil told BBC Match of the Day.
“We were pretty dominant throughout and then, of course, there is going to be some desperation from Southampton at the end with the situation they’re in.
“It was nice to get three points in what was a huge game.”
The Cherries always looked in control after an early Southampton push, that late strike from substitute Adams providing their only moment of alarm until VAR’s intervention ruled it out for offside.
Bournemouth, 14th in the table, now look firmly locked on course to stay up, a fact reflected by the joyous reaction of the travelling fans at the final whistle as the stadium resounded to chants of “We are staying up”.
And on this evidence they fully deserve to maintain their Premier League status, their measured passing style showing no signs of any relegation nerves.
“There are a lot of points still to play for, we’re not going to settle on 36,” O’Neil added. “We have to keep pushing and get as many as we can to hopefully secure safety as early as possible.”
Saints appear doomed
The resounding jeers from Southampton’s fans at the final whistle reflected the damage inflicted by a result that pushes Ruben Selles’ side even closer to the drop.
Saints lacked inspiration and one of their usual sources was lost at half-time when captain James Ward-Prowse had to be substituted because of illness.
“We didn’t see the team we wanted to see and that’s not good enough,” Selles told Match of the Day.
There was no shortage of effort from a side that almost snatched a shock win at Premier League leaders Arsenal but they ran out of ideas long before the end, the home support even venting their frustrations in the first half as the ball was passed around at the back.
The biggest problem was a glaring lack of any threat, reflected in the relative comfort in which Bournemouth were able to close out the final phase of the game.
Saints did not appear to have any clear plan and an 11th home defeat of the campaign is an ominous sign for any team hoping to stay up.
Those fans were feeling no better at the final whistle as their Bournemouth counterparts revelled in the plight of their fierce south coast rivals.
It looks bleak for Saints, with little or no sign they have what it takes to engineer what would be a near miraculous recovery to stay up.
“We showed we can perform against anybody,” Selles added. “In the last games it’s small margins that keep us out of winning. The margin keeps getting smaller and smaller.”
Player of the match
TavernierMarcus Tavernier
with an average of 7.65
Squad number17Player nameS Armstrong
Squad number10Player nameAdams
Squad number45Player nameLavia
Squad number2Player nameWalker-Peters
Squad number26Player nameAlcaraz
Squad number1Player nameMcCarthy
Squad number32Player nameWalcott
Squad number35Player nameBednarek
Squad number4Player nameLyanco
Squad number6Player nameCaleta-Car
Squad number15Player namePerraud
Squad number20Player nameSulemana
Squad number3Player nameMaitland-Niles
Squad number9Player nameA Armstrong
Squad number8Player nameWard-Prowse
Squad number24Player nameElyounoussi
AFC Bournemouth
Squad number16Player nameTavernier
Squad number9Player nameSolanke
Squad number29Player nameBilling
Squad number5Player nameKelly
Squad number6Player nameMepham
Squad number10Player nameChristie
Squad number13Player nameNeto
Squad number14Player nameRothwell
Squad number25Player nameSenesi
Squad number18Player nameViña
Squad number8Player nameLerma
Squad number21Player nameMoore
Squad number15Player nameA Smith
Squad number11Player nameOuattara
Squad number27Player nameZabarnyi
Line-ups
Southampton
Formation 4-4-2
- 1McCarthy
- 2Walker-Peters
- 35Bednarek
- 6Caleta-Car
- 15PerraudSubstituted forMaitland-Nilesat 36′minutes
- 24ElyounoussiSubstituted forS Armstrongat 61′minutes
- 8Ward-ProwseSubstituted forLyancoat 45′minutes
- 45Lavia
- 9A ArmstrongSubstituted forSulemanaat 76′minutes
- 32WalcottSubstituted forAdamsat 61′minutes
- 26Alcaraz
Substitutes
- 3Maitland-Niles
- 4Lyanco
- 7Aribo
- 10Adams
- 17S Armstrong
- 18Mara
- 19Djenepo
- 20Sulemana
- 31Bazunu
Bournemouth
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 13Neto
- 6Mepham
- 25SenesiBooked at 65minsSubstituted forZabarnyiat 68′minutes
- 5Kelly
- 16TavernierSubstituted forA Smithat 78′minutes
- 14Rothwell
- 8LermaBooked at 77mins
- 18ViñaBooked at 86mins
- 29BillingSubstituted forOuattaraat 90+3′minutes
- 10Christie
- 9SolankeSubstituted forMooreat 90+3′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Travers
- 4L Cook
- 7Brooks
- 11Ouattara
- 15A Smith
- 21Moore
- 24Semenyo
- 27Zabarnyi
- 32Anthony
Match Stats
Live Text
Match ends, Southampton 0, Bournemouth 1.
Second Half ends, Southampton 0, Bournemouth 1.
Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Lloyd Kelly.
Substitution, Bournemouth. Kieffer Moore replaces Dominic Solanke.
Substitution, Bournemouth. Dango Ouattara replaces Philip Billing.
Attempt missed. Roméo Lavia (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
VAR Decision: No Goal Southampton 0-1 Bournemouth.
GOAL OVERTURNED BY VAR: Ché Adams (Southampton) scores but the goal is ruled out after a VAR review.
Offside, Southampton. Stuart Armstrong tries a through ball, but Ché Adams is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Carlos Alcaraz (Southampton) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Roméo Lavia following a set piece situation.
Matías Viña (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Roméo Lavia (Southampton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Matías Viña (Bournemouth).
Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Illia Zabarnyi.
Attempt missed. Kamaldeen Sulemana (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Roméo Lavia.
Jan Bednarek (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ryan Christie (Bournemouth).
Offside, Southampton. Duje Caleta-Car tries a through ball, but Ché Adams is caught offside.
Foul by Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton).
Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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