Southampton have been relegated from the Premier League following their 2-0 defeat against Fulham on Saturday, which concluded a disastrous season for the club that had been rooted to the bottom of the table.
Carlos Vinicius and Aleksandar Mitrovic scored in the second half to condemn Southampton to relegation at St Mary’s.
Ruben Selles’ team, who are winless in their last 11 games, saw their drop to the Championship confirmed with two matches still remaining.
This marks Southampton’s return to the second tier after an 11-year absence.
Southampton spent most of the season in the bottom three, and Selles was unable to rescue them from relegation after taking over from the sacked Nathan Jones in February.
Jones had only managed 14 games as the successor to Ralph Hasenhuttl, who was dismissed in November after a four-year tenure.
The warning signs had been evident for Southampton, who finished in 15th place in the previous two seasons and suffered a 9-0 thrashing by Manchester United in February 2021.
Southampton becomes the first team to be relegated from the Premier League this season.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a devoted Southampton fan, was present at St Mary’s to witness the final chapter of Southampton’s painful campaign.
With just two home league victories this season, many Southampton supporters had seemingly accepted their fate, evident from the numerous empty red seats in various sections of the stadium.
As Fulham took control of the game, even more empty spaces appeared as fans departed before the final whistle confirmed Southampton’s relegation.
Boos and chants of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” greeted the confirmation of Southampton’s drop to the Championship as fans contemplated visits to Millwall, Plymouth, and Rotherham instead of Anfield, Old Trafford, and the Etihad Stadium.
“It was inevitable. We knew we were in a difficult position,” said Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse.
“We need to individually and collectively assess if we have done everything we possibly could. I don’t think we have, and that is disappointing.
“Have we made the right decisions? Have we given our all on the pitch? I believe we should have performed at a higher level.
“From the first day of the season until now, you can see that the standards have slipped.”
