LESLEY UGOCHUKWU’S added-time strike ensured Southampton equalled Derby’s record-low Premier League points total with a 1-1 draw at West Ham.
Relegated Saints were still on course to be crowned the worst team in Premier League history after Jarrod Bowen fired the hosts into the lead.
But they were not even the worst team at the London Stadium for long periods of a dreadful game.
And they snatched a deserved point deep into added time when Chelsea loanee Ugochukwu drove home through a crowded penalty area.
The Saints fans behind the goal celebrated like they had won the league, probably drowning out the audible groans from Derby after they saw their record-low points tally of 11 from the 2007-08 season matched.
Meanwhile, to say West Ham have not got going under new boss Graham Potter is one of the understatements of the season.
The Hammers have picked up an average of one point a game since Potter took over, which is a worse record than under much-maligned predecessor Julen Lopetegui.
West Ham did almost grab the lead inside three minutes through Niclas Fullkrug, starting his first game since January after another spell out injured.
The Germany striker got a toe to Lucas Paqueta’s ball into the box ahead of Jan Bednarek, but his effort was well saved at his near post by Aaron Ramsdale.
Yet despite still not being mathematically safe from relegation — albeit with virtually no chance of it actually happening — the hosts plodded through the first half with a bewildering lack of urgency.
Southampton, with two wins to their name all season, were by far the more threatening side with Kamaldeen Sulemana teeing up Kyle Walker-Peters, who drove across goal and narrowly wide.
The country’s lowest goalscorers came even closer after half an hour when Jack Stephens’ shot was blocked by Paqueta with Sulemana thudding the rebound against the crossbar.
Boos rang out as the teams trudged off at half-time, and there were still thousands of empty seats when Bowen lifted the tedium a minute into the second half.
The goal came from a Southampton corner, with Emerson Palmieri and then Mohammed Kudus strolling forward before finding Fullkrug, whose incisive pass played in Bowen to slam in his 10th goal of the season.
It was the 78th goal of a torrid campaign conceded by the Saints.
That almost became 79 when Fullkrug headed in a James Ward-Prowse corner at the far post, but the striker’s forearm into the throat of Ramsdale ensured it was rightly chalked off.
Saints’ chances of a point looked to have disappeared along with the ball after substitute Tyler Dibling blazed over.
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But in the fourth minute of added time, Dibling found Walker-Peters, whose cross deflected off Max Kilman and was lashed home by Ugochukwu.
Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly salutes the fans following the Premier League match at Goodison Park. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Elsewhere, Manchester City’s chances of Champions League football next season were given a huge boost as two late goals from Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic beat Everton 2-0 on Saturday to move up to fourth in the Premier League.
O’Reilly turned in Matheus Nunes’ inviting cross in the 84th minute before Kovacic blasted in from the edge of the box to turn an uninspired performance from Pep Guardiola’s men into a priceless three points.
Everton’s third defeat in 15 league games since David Moyes returned for a second spell as manager means they have to wait to mathematically guarantee survival.
Guardiola said on the eve of the game that he was content to be in the running for Champions League qualification as his side could have been in the bottom half of the table, given some of their struggles in a season to forget.
The drop-off in quality from the side that have been English champions for the past four seasons was in evidence at Goodison Park until a late flurry against the tiring Toffees.
A top-five finish will be enough for City to qualify for the Champions League for a 15th consecutive season.
Guardiola’s side still have little margin for error in the final five matches of the season but open up a four-point lead on sixth-placed Chelsea.
The visitors dominated possession throughout, but Everton were rarely troubled until the closing stages as they sat back and waited for the chance to strike on the counter-attack or from a set-piece.
It was the home side who came closest to breaking the deadlock before half-time when James Tarkowski’s header from a corner came back off the post.
Kevin De Bruyne rolled back the years in City’s fightback from 2-0 down to beat Crystal Palace 5-2 last weekend.
However, the Belgian has often been a shadow of his former self in his final season in Manchester and struggled to put his stamp on proceedings.
De Bruyne did have City’s best first-half effort when his goalbound shot was blocked by Jake O’Brien.
Everton were left to rue not making the most of a positive start to the second period.
Jarrad Branthwaite should have scored when he nodded straight at Stefan Ortega after Tarkowski won another header inside the City box.
But the loss of Tarkowski to a muscle injury that could end his season proved to be a turning point.
Savinho’s low shot from the edge of the box that was well-saved by Jordan Pickford and a wasted chance from Omar Marmoush, who fluffed his lines with just the England goalkeeper to beat, proved to be warnings Everton did not heed.
O’Reilly has made a big impact in recent weeks deputising at left-back and the 20-year-old netted his first Premier League goal when Nunes drilled in a low cross.
Substitute Kovacic made the points safe with an accurate low drive from Marmoush’s lay-off to take City a huge step closer to minimising the damage of a disappointing season.
Meanwhile, Brentford beat 10-man Brighton 4-2 to damage the Seagulls’ prospects of qualifying for Europe with their first home win since December.
Thomas Frank’s side took a ninth-minute lead when Lewis Keane-Potter’s precise pass through the heart of the Brighton defence picked out Bryan Mbeumo, and he confidently slotted home
Danny Welbeck hauled Brighton level in first-half stoppage time with a powerful header from Mats Wieffer’s cross.
Mbeumo restored Brentford’s advantage three minutes after half-time, his strike taking a hefty deflection off Brighton defender Lewis Dunk on its way past Bart Verbruggen.
Yoane Wissa bagged Brentford’s third in the 58th minute, running onto Mbeumo’s pass and finishing with the help of a deflection off Jan Paul van Hecke.
Brighton striker Joao Pedro was sent off in the 61st minute for a needless kick at Nathan Collins.
Japan forward Kaoru Mitoma reduced the deficit in the 81st minute, but Christian Norgaard headed home in stoppage time to end Brighton’s hopes of a late escape.
Crystal Palace held on for a 0-0 draw against Bournemouth despite playing half the match with 10 men.
Palace were reduced to 10 men just before half-time at Selhurst Park when Chris Richards was sent off for a second booking after the defender fouled Justin Kluivert.
Third-placed Newcastle will look to step up their Champions League qualification surge when they travel to Aston Villa in Saturday’s late game.
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Southampton avoid making unwanted Premier League history, Man City close in on top 4
LESLEY UGOCHUKWU’S added-time strike ensured Southampton equalled Derby’s record-low Premier League points total with a 1-1 draw at West Ham.
Relegated Saints were still on course to be crowned the worst team in Premier League history after Jarrod Bowen fired the hosts into the lead.
But they were not even the worst team at the London Stadium for long periods of a dreadful game.
And they snatched a deserved point deep into added time when Chelsea loanee Ugochukwu drove home through a crowded penalty area.
The Saints fans behind the goal celebrated like they had won the league, probably drowning out the audible groans from Derby after they saw their record-low points tally of 11 from the 2007-08 season matched.
Meanwhile, to say West Ham have not got going under new boss Graham Potter is one of the understatements of the season.
The Hammers have picked up an average of one point a game since Potter took over, which is a worse record than under much-maligned predecessor Julen Lopetegui.
West Ham did almost grab the lead inside three minutes through Niclas Fullkrug, starting his first game since January after another spell out injured.
The Germany striker got a toe to Lucas Paqueta’s ball into the box ahead of Jan Bednarek, but his effort was well saved at his near post by Aaron Ramsdale.
Yet despite still not being mathematically safe from relegation — albeit with virtually no chance of it actually happening — the hosts plodded through the first half with a bewildering lack of urgency.
Southampton, with two wins to their name all season, were by far the more threatening side with Kamaldeen Sulemana teeing up Kyle Walker-Peters, who drove across goal and narrowly wide.
The country’s lowest goalscorers came even closer after half an hour when Jack Stephens’ shot was blocked by Paqueta with Sulemana thudding the rebound against the crossbar.
Boos rang out as the teams trudged off at half-time, and there were still thousands of empty seats when Bowen lifted the tedium a minute into the second half.
The goal came from a Southampton corner, with Emerson Palmieri and then Mohammed Kudus strolling forward before finding Fullkrug, whose incisive pass played in Bowen to slam in his 10th goal of the season.
It was the 78th goal of a torrid campaign conceded by the Saints.
That almost became 79 when Fullkrug headed in a James Ward-Prowse corner at the far post, but the striker’s forearm into the throat of Ramsdale ensured it was rightly chalked off.
Saints’ chances of a point looked to have disappeared along with the ball after substitute Tyler Dibling blazed over.
But in the fourth minute of added time, Dibling found Walker-Peters, whose cross deflected off Max Kilman and was lashed home by Ugochukwu.
Elsewhere, Manchester City’s chances of Champions League football next season were given a huge boost as two late goals from Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic beat Everton 2-0 on Saturday to move up to fourth in the Premier League.
O’Reilly turned in Matheus Nunes’ inviting cross in the 84th minute before Kovacic blasted in from the edge of the box to turn an uninspired performance from Pep Guardiola’s men into a priceless three points.
Everton’s third defeat in 15 league games since David Moyes returned for a second spell as manager means they have to wait to mathematically guarantee survival.
Guardiola said on the eve of the game that he was content to be in the running for Champions League qualification as his side could have been in the bottom half of the table, given some of their struggles in a season to forget.
The drop-off in quality from the side that have been English champions for the past four seasons was in evidence at Goodison Park until a late flurry against the tiring Toffees.
A top-five finish will be enough for City to qualify for the Champions League for a 15th consecutive season.
Guardiola’s side still have little margin for error in the final five matches of the season but open up a four-point lead on sixth-placed Chelsea.
The visitors dominated possession throughout, but Everton were rarely troubled until the closing stages as they sat back and waited for the chance to strike on the counter-attack or from a set-piece.
It was the home side who came closest to breaking the deadlock before half-time when James Tarkowski’s header from a corner came back off the post.
Kevin De Bruyne rolled back the years in City’s fightback from 2-0 down to beat Crystal Palace 5-2 last weekend.
However, the Belgian has often been a shadow of his former self in his final season in Manchester and struggled to put his stamp on proceedings.
De Bruyne did have City’s best first-half effort when his goalbound shot was blocked by Jake O’Brien.
Everton were left to rue not making the most of a positive start to the second period.
Jarrad Branthwaite should have scored when he nodded straight at Stefan Ortega after Tarkowski won another header inside the City box.
But the loss of Tarkowski to a muscle injury that could end his season proved to be a turning point.
Savinho’s low shot from the edge of the box that was well-saved by Jordan Pickford and a wasted chance from Omar Marmoush, who fluffed his lines with just the England goalkeeper to beat, proved to be warnings Everton did not heed.
O’Reilly has made a big impact in recent weeks deputising at left-back and the 20-year-old netted his first Premier League goal when Nunes drilled in a low cross.
Substitute Kovacic made the points safe with an accurate low drive from Marmoush’s lay-off to take City a huge step closer to minimising the damage of a disappointing season.
Meanwhile, Brentford beat 10-man Brighton 4-2 to damage the Seagulls’ prospects of qualifying for Europe with their first home win since December.
Thomas Frank’s side took a ninth-minute lead when Lewis Keane-Potter’s precise pass through the heart of the Brighton defence picked out Bryan Mbeumo, and he confidently slotted home
Danny Welbeck hauled Brighton level in first-half stoppage time with a powerful header from Mats Wieffer’s cross.
Mbeumo restored Brentford’s advantage three minutes after half-time, his strike taking a hefty deflection off Brighton defender Lewis Dunk on its way past Bart Verbruggen.
Yoane Wissa bagged Brentford’s third in the 58th minute, running onto Mbeumo’s pass and finishing with the help of a deflection off Jan Paul van Hecke.
Brighton striker Joao Pedro was sent off in the 61st minute for a needless kick at Nathan Collins.
Japan forward Kaoru Mitoma reduced the deficit in the 81st minute, but Christian Norgaard headed home in stoppage time to end Brighton’s hopes of a late escape.
Crystal Palace held on for a 0-0 draw against Bournemouth despite playing half the match with 10 men.
Palace were reduced to 10 men just before half-time at Selhurst Park when Chris Richards was sent off for a second booking after the defender fouled Justin Kluivert.
Third-placed Newcastle will look to step up their Champions League qualification surge when they travel to Aston Villa in Saturday’s late game.
English Premier League results on Saturday:
Brentford 4 (Mbeumo 9, 48, Wissa 58, Norgaard 90+5) Brighton 2 (Welbeck 45+3, Mitoma 81)
Crystal Palace 0 Bournemouth 0
Everton 0 Manchester City 2 (O’Reilly 84, Kovacic 90+2)
West Ham 1 (Bowen 47) Southampton 1 (Ugochukwu 90+3)
Additional reporting by AFP
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