West Brom relegated after Southampton win at Swansea
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Updated 08/05/2018 at 21:00 GMT
Premier League, Liberty Stadium - Swansea City 0 Southampton 1 (Gabbiadini 72')
Manolo Gabbiadini of Southampton celebrates with Charlie Austin after he scores his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Swansea City and Southampton at Liberty Stadium
Image credit: Getty Images
Substitute Manolo Gabbiadini scored the second-half winner as Southampton took a massive towards Premier League survival with a 1-0 win at relegation-haunted Swansea.
The three points courtesy of Gabbiadini's scruffy winning goal on 72 minutes means West Bromwich Albion join Stoke City as being officially relegated from the Premier League while Swansea are clinging to the top flight by their fingertips after this defeat.
Southampton are virtually guaranteed survival having moved onto 36 points with a nine-goal superior difference to 18-placed Swansea on 33 before they host Manchester City on Sunday.
But Huddersfield face an anxious wait to see if they will avoid heading straight back to the Championship. They are three points better off than Swansea, but visit Chelsea on Wednesday night only one place and two goals better off than Swansea in 17th.
If Huddersfield lose at Chelsea, they would then have to take something from the visit of Arsenal to be certain of survival on Sunday.
Swansea needing to beat relegated Stoke at the Liberty Stadium in their final outing of the campaign and hope Huddersfield lose their final two matches to stand any chance of avoiding the drop.
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Sam McQueen of Southampton celebrates with Mark Hughes, Manager of Southampton during the Premier League match between Swansea City and Southampton at Liberty Stadium
Image credit: Getty Images
TALKING POINT: Will Swansea survive the drop?
Swansea are three points adrift and can only realistically catch Huddersfield on Sunday.
The Terriers are at Chelsea, who are in the hunt for a top four spot. With a loss at Stamford Bridge, Huddersfield would need a result in Arsene Wenger’s final Arsenal game to ensure survival.
Points on the board are crucial, but the fixtures may appear to favour the Swans, who must beat relegated Stoke on Sunday.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Cedric Soares
Both goalkeepers were superb, but commendation must be given to the Portuguese, who contributes to most of the visitors’ breaking movements and who sprinted to become the furthest man forward on several occasions.
PLAYER RATINGS
Swansea: Fabianski 8, Roberts 6, Naughton 6, Fernandez 6, Mawson 7, Olsson 6, Sung-Yueng 6, King 6, Clucas 6, A. Ayew 7, J. Ayew 7..subs: Carroll 6, Narsingh 6, Abraham 7
Southampton: McCarthy 8, Cedric 8, Bednarek 7, Hoedt 7, Stephens 8, Bertrand 6, Romeu 8, Hojbjerg 7, Tadic 7, Redmond 6, Austin 7..subs: McQueen 6, Long 7, Gabbiadini 7.
KEY MOMENTS
- 32 - CHANCE! Redmond feeds a perfect through ball to Austin, who shoots first time from 15 yards. He doesn't quite give it enough power and Fabianksi claims it.
- 44 - CHANCE! Cedric crosses from the left and Romeu flicks it to Austin, who attempts a spectacular scissor kick volley. Fabianski claims it but what a goal that would have been!
- 72 - GOAL! Tadic wins a corner from Ki and takes it himself. It swings out to Stephens at the back post, who heads into Austin's path! His shot is blocked and Gabbiadini knocks in the rebound from close range!
KEY STATS
- Swansea have failed to score in eight different Premier League home games this season, more than any other side.
- Seven of Southampton’s last 11 away Premier League victories have been against sides starting the day in the relegation zone.
- Only Stoke (13) are on a longer winless run in the Premier League than Swansea (8 - D3 L5).
- Swansea have failed to score in eight of their 12 Premier League clashes with Southampton, scoring just five goals in total in those matches.
- Manolo Gabbiadini has netted two goals in his last four away league games for Southampton after failing to find the back of the net in the previous 12.
- Gabbiadini’s goal was just his fifth in his last 41 games for Southampton in all competitions, one fewer than he managed in his first four games for Saints.
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