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Guardiola knows that, with six teams separated by seven points, the race for the Champions League could yet get interesting - Reuters/Peter Cziborra
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The Premier League’s worst ever team? It is the most unwanted accolade and, after a season in which Southampton had long looked likely to depart for the Championship with that shameful moniker, they have their 12th point. That, of course, is one more than Derby County in 2008. Never can a goalless draw have been so rapturously celebrated, with the Southampton supporters whistling throughout a long seven minutes of added time before breaking into celebration as if a major trophy had been won.
The people running Southampton’s social media accounts got in on the act too.
This result also brings to an end Manchester City’s four-game Premier League winning run, although the looming prospect of next Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace surely contributed to the champions’ surprising lack of intensity and cutting edge. After six weeks out, Erling Haaland looked especially short of match fitness on returning to a Manchester City starting XI that also included Phil Foden for the first time in more than a month.
With Kevin De Bruyne between them, the pre-match thinking had centred more on how many City would score rather than whether they would actually beat a team trying to avoid Premier League records for both home and total defeats in a 38-game season.
Simon Rusk, taking charge of Southampton for the sixth time, had signalled the priority of containment with a 5-4-1 formation that frequently saw his team dropping back with 10 behind the ball. City’s dominance of possession, then, was assured but an uncharacteristic absence of chances was soon glaring. Two inviting De Bruyne free-kicks on the fringes of the Southampton penalty area threatened most but ultimately delivered little during a limp first-half, even if the home team might have been reduced to 10 men.
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With De Bruyne and Haaland back in City’s attack, they were expected to offer so much more - Getty Images/GLYN KIRK
Midielder Lesley Ugochukwu had already been booked when he appeared to block City’s attempt at a quick free-kick on the stroke of half-time.
Pep Guardiola introduced Jeremy Doku for the second-half and his dribbling down the left noticeably increased City’s threat. A pass to Bernardo Silva was directed across Southampton’s six-yard box and directed only narrowly over off Jack Stephens’ shin, while Doku also presented Haaland with an excellent chance that he could not quite bring under control.
City again went close when Silva’s cross found Ruben Diaz, only for his header to be acrobatically turned over by Aaron Ramsdale. The pressure was building but, showing a resolve that has so often been absent this season, Southampton’s defenders performed a series of goal-saving tackles and blocks. Omar Marmoush, also a second-half substitute, ultimately came closest for City, sending a dipping shot past Ramsdale only to be denied by the crossbar.
05:34 PM BST
‘We take that point still, it’s in our hands’
Man City manager speaking to BBC Sport: “We had chances but unfortunately couldn’t score. [Southampton were] playing to defend and defend and defend and waste time. We take that point still, it’s in our hands.
“Didn’t expect them to defend so deep. Defensive we were so good but unfortunately we missed the last actions.”
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05:31 PM BST
‘Didn’t think we were really at it in the first half’
Everton goalscorer Michael Keane speaking to Sky Sports: “I didn’t think we were really at it in the first half but we managed to get back into the game. They had a lot of the ball but I think we controlled the game.
“The manager had a few words for us at half time. He wasn’t happy with the intensity and the pressing. We had to give it more and we did.”
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05:25 PM BST
‘Very happy that the players’
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler speaking to Match of the Day: “Very happy that the players showed this performance. They stuck to the plan and defended quite well.
“Second half, we defended quite well. In possession we could do it better, but I was happy to use the chance to score the second goal.”
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05:19 PM BST
‘Happy the fans have something to smile about’
Southampton’s Jack Stephens speaking to BBC Sport: “It’s nice to get that [lowest Premier League points tally] off our backs. We’re obviously still very disappointed with how the season has gone. We’ve not been good enough.
“We feel quite solid and comfortable in that shape. We got it wrong at Leicester last week. Maybe we felt we could be more expansive. We went back to basics today. I’m very happy for the lads and the fans to have something to smile about.”
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05:14 PM BST
‘Perfect cross, perfect finish’
Brentford’s Kevin Schade speaking to Match of the Day: “Perfect cross, perfect finish. The gaffer [Thomas Frank] said it could be that we win in set pieces and we did. Every corner was a foul or not but we just stayed focused and tried to score.
“It is the first season that I am fully fit and played all the games. We have to praise everyone, the front four, we are having a great season.”
05:02 PM BST
Full-time scores
Fulham 1 Everton 3
Ipswich 0 Brentford 1
Southampton 0 Man City 0
Wolves 0 Brighton 2
05:01 PM BST
90(+9) mins: Fulham 1 Everton 3
VAR incident at Craven Cottage. Referee Darren England sticks with his original decision and decides not to award Fulham a penalty.
04:58 PM BST
Full time: Southampton 0 Man City 0
Southampton hold City which takes them to 12 points in the Premier League. Derby’s record of finishing on 11 points remains.
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04:55 PM BST
Full time: Ipswich 0 Brentford 1
Brentford secure their fourth Premier League win a row, which is a club record.
04:48 PM BST
Wolves 0 Brighton 2
Brighton double their lead at Molineux thanks to a brilliant finish from Brajan Gruda!
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04:42 PM BST
Crazy four minutes for Everton
04:33 PM BST
GOAL! Fulham 1 Everton 3
Beto puts Everton 3-1 up!
Pandemonium in the away end at Craven Cottage.
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04:29 PM BST
Fulham 1 Everton 2
Everton take the lead at Craven Cottage courtesy of a Michael Keane header!
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04:25 PM BST
65 mins: Ipswich 0 Brentford 1
Kieran McKenna, chasing the game, has made three changes as Jens Cajuste, Jack Clarke and George Hirst come on for Taylor, Chaplin and Delap.
No changes for Brentford as the game approaches the final quarter.
04:14 PM BST
55 mins: Southampton 0 Man City 0
Both managers have made substitutions at half-time; Joe Aribo has come on for Lesley Ugochukwu for Southampton and Jeremy Doku is on for City in place of James McAtee.
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There’s a strong feeling here that Southampton are fortunate not to be down to 10-men. Lesley Ugochukwu blocked City’s attempt at a quick free-kick on the stroke of half-time, shortly after already being booked. He was then substituted at half-time.
03:57 PM BST
City have dominated but have barely created a clear chance
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Southampton supporters have had precious little to cheer this season and so no surprise that holding Manchester City to a goalless half-time scoreline should count as a rare reason to applaud their players.
City have dominated possession but they have barely created a clear chance. Erling Haaland is back after six weeks out and certainly looks ring-rusty ahead of next week’s FA Cup final – but the same can be said for the entire City frontline.
A very big if… but if it does stay like this, Southampton would also earn a 12th point of the Premier League season to move clear of Derby County’s all-time Premier League worst in 2008.
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03:54 PM BST
Half-time scores
Fulham 1 Everton 1
Ipswich 0 Brentford 1
Southampton 0 Man City 0
Wolves 0 Brighton 1
03:50 PM BST
Everton equalise!
Everton equalise on the stroke of half-time after a huge slice of luck for Vitalii Mykolenko who sees a long-range effort take a massive deflection and fly into the Fulham goal!
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03:37 PM BST
Welbeck eventually gets his goal
03:29 PM BST
Wolves 0 Brighton 1
Welbeck steps up to take the penalty and scores!
That is the forward’s 10th Premier League goal of the season and the first time he has hit double figures in the league.
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03:28 PM BST
27 mins: Wolves 0 Brighton 0
Welbeck’s goal was judged to be offside but Brighton have a penalty.
03:26 PM BST
Containment policy working for Southampton
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Southampton rather laid down their intentions with a 5-4-1 formation and, after 20 minutes, the containment policy is working. Manchester City have had three quarters of possession but not a single clear chance as yet.
03:24 PM BST
Welbeck puts Brighton ahead, or has he?
Brighton captain Danny Welbeck puts Brighton ahead... or has he? VAR is checking...
03:20 PM BST
Ipswich 0 Brentford 1
Kevin Schade puts Brentford ahead at Portman Road following a delayed VAR check.
Bryan Mbeumo with the assist!
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03:19 PM BST
Jimenez gives Fulham the lead!
Raul Jimenez opens the scoring at Craven Cottage with a powerful header to give Fulham the lead against Everton!
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03:14 PM BST
15 mins: Fulham 0 Everton 0
Fulham have started brightly and are enjoying the majority of possession in the opening stages.
Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite actually had the first shot of the game but since then, Harry Wilson, Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe have all had attempts on goal for Fulham.
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03:05 PM BST
5 min: Wolves 0 Brighton 0
Brigton’s Matt O’Reilly loses his footing and brings down Joao Gomes who stays down but is able to carry on after a brief stoppage.
03:00 PM BST
Kick off!
We are under way in the 3pm games.
02:53 PM BST
Foden starts for City with Southampton on course for an unwanted record
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A first start since April 6th for Phil Foden as Manchester City seek to move level with Arsenal in second. Their opponents, Southampton, are on course for an unwanted double today: defeat would mean a record-equalling 15th home loss and overall 29th league defeat since the Premier League was formed of 20 clubs.
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02:34 PM BST
Wolves-Brighton teams in black and white
Wolves XI Jose Sa, Toti, Agbadou, Doherty, Ait-Nouri, Andre, Nelson Semedo, Joao Gomes, Guedes, M Munetsi, Matheus Cunha.
Subs Bentley, Bueno, Traore, Strand Larsen, Rodrigo Gomes, Sarabia, Bellegarde, Djiga, Mane.
Brighton XI Verbruggen, Lamptey, Webster, van Hecke, Estupinan, Wieffer, Baleba, Ayari, O’Riley, Minteh, Welbeck.
Subs Steele, Igor Julia, Gruda, Adsingra, Cashin, Mitoma, Hinshelwood, Gomez, Howell.
Wolves manager Vitor Pereira makes just one change as Goncalo Guedes replaces Jean-Ricner Bellegarde who drops to the bench. Fabian Hurzeler makes two changes from last weekend with Yasin Ayari and Tariq Lamptey replacing Jack Hinshelwood and Simon Adingra.
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Matheus Cunha warms up ahead of Wolves versus Brighton at Molineux Stadium - Reuters/Chris Radburn
02:23 PM BST
Southampton-Man City teams in black and white
Southampton XI Ramsdale, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens, Bree, Downes, Ugochukwu, Welington, Fernandes, Sulemana, Dibling.
Subs McCarthy, Manning, Sugawara, Wood, Smallbone, Aribo, Archer, Stewart, Onuachu.
Man City XI Ederson, Lewis, Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol, Silva, Kovacic, McAtee, De Bruyne, Foden, Haaland.
Sub Ortega Moreno, Marmoush, Grealish, Doku, Nico, Gundogan, Savinho, Nunes, O’Reilly.
Southampton’s interim manager Simon Rusk makes three changes from last weekend, as James Bree, Tyler Dibling and Welington come in for Kyle Walker-Peters, Ryan Manning and Ross Stewart.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola makes five changes as Erling Haaland replaces Omar Marmoush. Guardiola also hands starts to Manuel Akanji, James McAtee, Phil Foden and Rico Lewis as Nico O’Reilly, Jeremy Doku, Matheus Nunes and Ilkay Gundogan drop to the bench.
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Pep Guardiola is all smiles as he greets Southampton’s Adam Lallana - PA/Andrew Matthews
02:09 PM BST
Ipswich-Brentford teams in black and white
Ipswich XI Palmer, O‘Shea, Tuanzebe, Burgess, Greaves, Morsy, Taylor, Hutchinson, Chaplin, Enciso, Delap.
Subs Walton, Woolfenden, Cajuste, Johnson, Luongo, Hirst, Godfrey, Clarke, Boniface.
Brentford XI Flekken, Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter, Norgaard, Yarmoliuk, Mbuemo, Damsgaard, Schade, Wissa.
Subs Valdimarsson, Henry, Pinnock, Jensen, Thiago, Mee, Konak, Maghoma, Nunes.
One change for Ipswich from last weekend as Axel Tuanzebe returns to the starting XI in the place of Luke Woolfenden. Thomas Frank has gone with the same side that beat Manchester United last time out.
02:01 PM BST
Fulham-Everton teams in black and white
Fulham XI Leno, Tete, Bassey, Andersen, Sessegnon, Berge, Pereira, Smith Rowe, Wilson, Iwobi, Jimenez.
Subs Benda, Cairney, Adama, Vinicius, Cuenca, Willian, King, Diop, Godo.
Everton XI Pickford, Young, Keane, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Garner, Gueye, Harrison, Doucoure, Alcaraz, Beto.
Subs Virginia, Patterson, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin, Ndiaye, Chermiti, Broja, Coleman, Iroegbunam.
Fulham manager Marco Silva hands Emile Smith Rowe a rare start and as anticipated, Abdoulaye Doucoure returns to the Everton starting XI.
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Emile Smith Rowe starts in midfield for Fulham today - PA/John Walton
01:50 PM BST
Brighton team news
01:49 PM BST
Wolves team news
One change from #MCIWOL
Guedes into the starting XI
How we line-up to face @OfficialBHAFC.
pic.twitter.com/pBDvT7cXyI
— Wolves (@Wolves) May 10, 2025
01:49 PM BST
Manchester City team news
01:48 PM BST
Southampton team news
01:47 PM BST
Brentford team news
01:46 PM BST
Ipswich team news
01:46 PM BST
Everton team news
01:45 PM BST
Fulham team news
Marco Silva's Fulham.️#FULEVEpic.twitter.com/MdqiFsDGoG
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) May 10, 2025
01:29 PM BST
Fulham, Brentford and Brighton eye up Europe while Southampton look to avoid embarrassment
Good afternoon and welcome to clockwatch coverage of this afternoon’s four 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League.
Fulham, on the brink of surpassing their best points tally in the Premier League (53), host Everton who have won just once in 10 league matches. Marco Silva confirmed regular first-team members Timothy Castagne, Harrison Reed and Sasa Lukic will all be missing for today’s game. For Everton, midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure returns to the side after sitting out last weekend’s draw with Ipswich.
Ipswich, who are yet to keep a clean sheet at home in the league this calendar year, welcome in-form Brentford to Portman Road. Thomas Frank’s side are flying high and have scored at least four goals in eight Premier League games this season, which is more than any other club. Kieran McKenna can select Ben Johnson after the defender completed his suspension last weekend. Brentford have no new injury concerns.
Southampton, searching for a point from their last three games to avoid the record of the lowest points tally (11) in Premier League history, face Manchester City at St Mary’s. Pep Guardiola’s side have won four of their last five league games and will likely call upon the services of striker Erling Haaland who has not played since March. Interim Southampton manager Simon Rusk has no new injury worries.
Wolves, who were on a run of seven consecutive league wins before losing to City last weekend, take on a Brighton side who still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe. Striker Jorgen Strand Larsen is set to return for Wolves after a groin issue kept him out of last weekend’s game. Kaoru Mitoma is likely to feature for Brighton after the winger sat out last weekend’s draw against Newcastle.
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