Southampton – FC Fulham
Eleven measly points, the lowest home tally of the decade – Southampton are languishing at the bottom of the table after a historically poor season and now face Fulham. Interim manager Simon Rusk is hoping that the late 1-1 draw at West Ham will at least avert a record low points tally, even if absences such as Grønbæk and Taylor complicate matters. Fulham, on the other hand, are ninth in the table: Marco Silva’s team want to stay in touch with the European places, with Alex Iwobi the most prominent figure in attack with nine goals this season. Fulham have not lost any of their last three league meetings with Southampton, with December’s goalless draw fitting into a pattern of tight games in which rarely more than one goal is scored before half-time.
Southampton – Fulham info
- Venue: St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, Hampshire
- Date and time: 26.04.2025, 16:00
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 34)
Southampton form & record check
Southampton have been waiting for a win in the league for five games (three defeats, two draws). The Saints often score late, but concede at least one goal in every game. Particularly critical: 80% of the last second halves have been lost because the defense falls apart. Rusk still lacks a stable axis – Bazunu, Larios, Grønbæk, Taylor, and Fraser are unavailable, and Downes collects yellow cards faster than the team scores points. Relegation is certain, and the only motivation left is to avoid a negative record.
Rusk is likely to field a 3-4-2-1 formation once again: Ramsdale in goal, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek and Stephens in front of him. Walker-Peters and Manning will take over the wings, with Ugochukwu and the card-prone Downes working hard in the center. Up front, Sulemana and Aribo will feed Onuachu. Rotations will be limited due to a lack of personnel – Dibling remains the wild card option.
Fulham Form & Record Check
Fulham have won only one of their last five league games – a spectacular 3-2 victory over Liverpool – and lost four. In each of those games, they conceded at least one goal, and in 80% of them they conceded two. Despite their recent 1-2 defeat to Chelsea, they remain in ninth place for the time being, but Brighton are lurking behind them with the same number of points. The offense around Iwabi is working, but Marco Silva is frustrated by the lack of balance: leads are squandered because the back four is too open. The dream of Europe is still alive, but it is hanging by a thread.
Silva is expected to stick with his familiar 4-2-3-1 formation: Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukić; Sessegnon, Pereira, Iwobi; Jiménez. Reiss Nelson is still out, while Wilson will undergo a final test. No major experiments are expected, as the regulars enjoy the coach’s trust.
H2H Southampton – Fulham Head-to-Head & Statistics
In the last five head-to-head matches, Fulham have won twice, Southampton once, with two draws. Four of these games ended with under 3.5 goals, with the most recent 0-0 draw in December underlining the tendency for tough first halves – never more than one goal was scored before the break. The record does not suggest a clear advantage for Southampton.
