Southampton crashed out of the Premier League after a 2-0 home defeat by Fulham on Saturday, ending their 11-year spell in the English top flight.
Defeat means Southampton, who needed a win to avoid relegation, will not be able to play 17th-placed Everton. Ruben Sels’ side are bottom of the league with 24 points from 36 matches, while Fulham’s win moves them up to ninth.
– Stream on ESPN+: La Liga, Bundesliga, more (US)
In a disjointed and disjointed opening 45 minutes, neither side was able to take control of the game, with Fulham having more possession and some better efforts but no luck in front of goal.
Both teams tried to play with more attacking intent in the second half, as Carlos Vinicius pounced on a loose ball in the Southampton box before a goal from Carlos Alcaraz was disallowed and he tapped in the opener for Fulham in the 48th minute.
Substitute Aleksandar Mitrovic then returned from an eight-match ban with a goal to secure victory for Fulham at St Mary’s Stadium in the 72nd minute.
Southampton dominated possession in the closing spell, but could not create anything of note and prevent a return to the second-tier Championship, with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a Southampton resident, watching from the stands.