Southampton endured their 24th defeat of the Premier League season as Wolves secured a 2-1 victory at St Mary’s, with Jorgen Strand Larsen’s brace proving decisive.
The win sees Wolves move nine points clear of the relegation zone, while Southampton’s fight for survival grows increasingly hopeless as they now sit 14 points adrift of top-flight safety.
The Saints made a bright start to the match, but their momentum was quickly halted when Strand Larsen capitalized on Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s cross to give Wolves the lead in the 19th minute. Just after the break, the same duo combined again to double Wolves’ advantage in the 47th minute. The first goal highlighted the Norwegian striker’s aerial ability, while his second demonstrated his technical prowess as he controlled Bellegarde’s pass, shifted the ball onto his right foot, and fired it into the bottom corner from outside the box.
Southampton tried to mount a response, and Paul Onuachu, who came on at halftime, pulled one back for the hosts in the 75th minute. He pounced on a rebound after Tyler Dibling’s shot hit the post, but despite the late goal, Southampton struggled to find any real quality or momentum to push for an equalizer, which has been a recurring theme throughout their disappointing season.
The gap between Southampton and Wolves in 17th now feels insurmountable, and with their Premier League future hanging by a thread, their fate seems all but sealed after another demoralizing performance.
As for Wolves, they have now positioned themselves comfortably above the relegation zone, showing signs of resurgence under manager Vitor Pereira. While credit is due to Pereira for steering the team away from the relegation battle after taking over from Gary O’Neil, part of Wolves’ success can also be attributed to the underwhelming performances of teams like Southampton, Ipswich, and Leicester, who have failed to meet Premier League standards.
With the fight for survival looking all but over, Southampton now face the daunting prospect of potentially breaking Derby County’s record low points tally of just 11 from the 2007/08 season. With only two points above that mark, it’s hard to see them turning things around at this stage, and the threat of finishing with one of the worst-ever Premier League records remains a very real possibility.
