Southampton 1-2 Fulham: Sessegnon’s stoppage-time winner keeps European hopes alive

Ryan Sessegnon was Fulham’s hero as his injury-time goal capped off a dramatic comeback over Southampton on Saturday.

Ryan Sessegnon scored a 92nd-minute winner as Fulham hit back to beat Southampton 2-1 and keep their hopes of European qualification alive.

Lowly Southampton looked set to surpass the record-low Premier League points tally of 11 they share with the Derby County team of 2007-08 thanks to an early goal from Jack Stephens.

Stephens flicked on Ryan Manning’s set-piece delivery in the 14th minute to put the Saints ahead, two minutes after Willian came close with a lovely, curled effort that drifted just wide of the post.

Yet Southampton’s wait to lift themselves off 11 points will have to go on as they suffered a late capitulation, sparked by Marco Silva’s substitutions.

The lively Adama Traore teed up Willian, who hit the woodwork, but fellow sub Emile Smith Rowe pulled Fulham level with a deflected strike in the 72nd minute.

Smith Rowe and Raul Jimenez both went close for the visitors as they probed for a late winner, but it was Sessegnon who finally delivered in the second minute of added time, planting a superb diving header into the bottom-left corner off Traore’s centre.

The win leaves Fulham in eighth place on 51 points, the same as ninth-place Brighton and two ahead of Bournemouth, who take on Manchester United on Sunday.

Data debrief: Silva’s subs put on a late show

After Smith Rowe’s equaliser, Fulham have now scored 15 Premier League goals via substitutes this season — the joint-most by any team in a single campaign, alongside Arsenal (2009-10), Manchester City (2011-12), and Liverpool (2015-16).

In fact, late drama has been a recurring theme for Silva’s side. Saturday’s winner marked Fulham’s third 90th-minute goal in the Premier League this season, more than any other team.

On the flip side, Southampton’s late-game woes continued. They have now conceded 11 goals after the 90th minute this season — equalling the Premier League record set by Burnley in 2018-19.

But Fulham were full value for the win on Saturday, producing a healthy expected goals (xG) value of 2.16, compared to Southampton’s modest 0.56 xG.