With an amazing away victory at St. Mary’s, Bournemouth moved closer to Premier League survival and dealt a severe blow to bottom-place Southampton.
The Cherries were able to bounce back from their 4-0 home loss to West Ham and create a seven-point gap between themselves and the bottom two spots thanks to Marcus Tavernier’s deflection goal five minutes after the break.
With just five games left, Southampton’s plight at the bottom gets worse as they sit six points from safety and are out of ideas after a night in which they felt the ire of the home crowd after a promising start.
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As a result of a more controlled and organized style of play, Bournemouth earned their third league victory in as many games, moving them closer to safety with 36 points.
Che Adams, a substitute, thought he had given Saints a point with a late goal, but a VAR review determined it to be offside, adding insult to injury.
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The most recent victory for Bournemouth merely adds to the impressive body of work put together by manager Gary O’Neil since taking over for the permanently fired Scott Parker.
O’Neil’s cool and collected demeanor has been reflected in the manner in which Bournemouth finished off a well-earned victory at St. Mary’s after first appearing like potential relegation prospects.
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O’Neil said on BBC Match of the Day, “I thought we were fantastic, by far the better team, and I was unhappy we had to cling on at the end because we’d only scored one.
We maintained a good level of dominance throughout, although Southampton was bound to show some signs of desperation at the very end given their predicament.
“Getting three points in such a big game was nice,”
After an early Southampton assault, the Cherries always seemed to be in charge. That late goal from substitute Adams was their sole source of concern until VAR’s intervention ruled it out for offside.
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The joyful reaction of the visiting fans at the final whistle as the stadium resounded to cries of “We are staying up” is indicative of Bournemouth’s current position in the standings, where they are currently firmly locked on course to remain there.
They also completely deserve to remain in the Premier League based on this evidence, as evidenced by their measured passing technique, which shows no signs of relegation anxiety.
We won’t stop at 36 points; there are still many points up for grabs, said O’Neil. To possibly ensure safety as soon as possible, “We have to keep pushing and get as many as we can.”
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Saints seem to be doomed
The loud jeers from Southampton supporters at the final whistle underlined the harm caused by a result that brings Ruben Selles’ team even more dangerously close to relegation.
When captain James Ward-Prowse had to be replaced due to illness at halftime, Saints lost one of their normal inspiration sources.
“We didn’t see the team we wanted to see, and that’s not good enough,” Selles said on Match of the Day.
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The team who came close to beating Premier League leaders Arsenal put in plenty of effort, but they ran out of options long before the game was over. The home crowd even vented their annoyances during the first half as the ball was passed around at the back.
The main issue was a blatant absence of any danger, which was seen in how easily Bournemouth was able to end the game in the last minutes.
Saints didn’t seem to have a clear game plan, and suffering their 11th home loss of the season is concerning for any team aiming to stay in the top flight.
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As Bournemouth supporters celebrated the misfortune of their fierce south coast rivals, their supporters felt no better at the final whistle.
Saints’ situation appears dire; there is little to no indication that they have what it takes to plan what would be a nearly miraculous recovery in order to survive.
Selles continued, “We demonstrated that we can compete with anyone. “In the most recent games, slim margins have prevented us from winning. The margin is continuously shrinking.
“I’d prefer to be happy than play with Messi, Mbappe and Neymar”
