Southampton’s Premier League journey has come to an end, resulting in Super Eagles players Joe Aribo and Paul Onuachu being relegated.
The team’s fate was sealed with a 2-0 defeat against Fulham on Saturday.
Carlos Vinicius and Aleksandar Mitrovic scored in the second half, condemning Southampton to the Championship. Ruben Selles’ side has been winless in their last 11 matches, and their relegation was confirmed with two games still remaining.
This marks Southampton’s return to the second tier after an 11-year spell in the Premier League. The team has struggled throughout the season, spending most of their time in the bottom three. Selles, who took over from the sacked Nathan Jones in February, was unable to steer them clear of relegation.
The decline for Southampton has been evident, as they finished 15th in the previous two seasons and suffered a humiliating 9-0 defeat against Manchester United in February 2021. The warning signs were there, and now the team faces the challenge of rebuilding in the Championship.