Week 36 of the Premier League sees Southampton fans get a shot in the arm after winning the South Coast derby and seeing both Swansea and Huddersfield lose to Chelsea and Everton respectively.
The windpipes that fill the throats of Huddersfield and Swansea fans are becoming so tight an errant grape seed could wipe them all out. With three games remaining, both sides lost once again, while the three that currently occupy the gallows all gathered ground.
If you’re going to waste a prayer on anyone, David Wagner will take it. Before anyone kicked a 2017/18 Premier League football, his Huddersfield side was the bookmakers favourite to be a one-hit wonder. But, for the vast majority of the season, his team has punched above their weight – until now.
The ground beneath them is slippery.
They are wearing socks.
They cannot gain traction.
Before the weekend, Wagner’s side had to face Everton, Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal. You don’t need to be a divine creature to figure out that a win against Everton was a must. Goals either side of half-time from Tosun and Idrissa Gueye ensured that wouldn’t happen, as Huddersfield racked up their 19th game without a goal this season.
The Terriers are now three points clear of safety, and the two clubs directly below them have a superior goal difference. If Southampton can continue their recent resurgence of form since Mark Hughes parked his Bentley in the driveway, then Huddersfield could be in trouble.
Southampton 2 v 1 Bournemouth
Going into this South Coast derby, Mark Hughes knew his side needed to take off their neck braces, step out of those wheelchairs and finally pick up the win that his side’s recent performances had suggested was possible.
His players came through for him.
Dusan Tadic opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a fantastic breakaway goal. One minute the Saints defenders were defending a Bournemouth free kick in their penalty area, and in a breath, Tadic was sliding the ball past the Bournemouth keeper.
And then Southampton reverted to type when they conceded the lead in first-half injury time; Joshua King lurking at the far post to volley home from a near-post flick from a teammate. In the past, the Saints have crumbled after losing the lead, but not this time. In the 54th minute, Tadic picked up the ball in the centre of the park and drove into the space before rifling a shot into the bottom corner.
It was Southampton’s first home win since November and Hughes’s first in five games.
Swansea 0 v 1 Chelsea
Nobody expected Swansea to get anything out of this game, and reality followed expectations. Cesc Fabregas scored his 50th Premier League goal in the fourth minute, and the Blues held on for a vital three points.
With Spurs playing Watford on Monday night, Chelsea has closed the gap between them and Champions League football to three points (Spurs have the superior goal difference). Swansea, on the other hand, extends their winless run to seven games in all competitions, and sit only a point above Southampton and three away from Stoke.
Swansea faces both Southampton and Stoke in the final two games of the season.
The Best of the Rest
On another day, Stoke’s goalless draw against Champions League Final bound Liverpool would have been admirable, but Paul Lambert’s side needed a win. With Swansea and Huddersfield both losing, and Stoke to face Crystal Palace and Swansea in their final two games there is still hope, but it’s as thin as a gnat’s thong. All the surrounding teams have a game in hand.
West Brom’s 1-0 win at Newcastle means the Baggies are unbeaten in the previous four matches, winning two, but it’s undoubtedly too late for the managerless side to drag their tear-soaked carcass out of the quagmire.
At the other end of things, Man Utd secured their place in the Champions League with a 2-1 win at home against Arsenal. Paul Pogba opened the scoring from close range after Hector Bellerin had deflected an Alexis Sanchez header onto the post. Henry Mkhitaryan scored an equaliser just after half time on his return to his old club, but Marouane Fellaini headed the equaliser with the last touch of the game.
Relegation Odds
Stoke 1/12
Southampton evens
Swansea 5/2
Huddersfield 13/8
Stoke’s Remaining Games
Crystal Palace (H)
Swansea (A)
Southampton’s Remaining Games
Everton (A)
Swansea (H)
Man City (H)
Swansea’s Remaining Games
Bournemouth (A)
Southampton (H)
Stoke (H)
Huddersfield’s Remaining Games
Man City (A)
Chelsea (A)
Arsenal (H)
Results in Full
Crystal Palace 5 v 0 Leicester
Huddersfield 0 v 2 Everton
Burnley 0 v 0 Brighton
Swansea 0 v 1 Chelsea
West Ham 1 v 4 Man City
Man Utd 2 v 1 Arsenal
Liverpool 0 v 0 Stoke
Newcastle 0 v 1 West Brom
Southampton 2 v 1 Bournemouth
To Be Played (Mon)
Spurs v Watford
Premier League Table
1. Man City – 93
2. Man Utd – 77
3. Liverpool – 72
4. Spurs – 68
5. Chelsea – 66
6. Arsenal – 57
7. Burnley – 54
8. Everton – 48
9. Leicester – 44
10. Newcastle – 41
11. Crystal Palace – 38
12. Bournemouth – 38
13. Watford – 38
14. Brighton – 37
15. West Ham – 35
16. Huddersfield – 35
17. Swansea – 33
18. Southampton – 32
19. Stoke – 30
20. West Brom – 28
