Southampton 0-2 Crystal Palace: Eberechi Eze scores second half brace to keep Eagles soaring

Southampton’s Premier League status hangs in the balance after a record-tying 10th home league defeat left them stranded at the foot of the table as Roy Hodgson took three of three wins on his return to Crystal Palace.

Eberechi Eze scored both goals early in the second half to all but guarantee Palace’s survival and almost doom Saints to the Championship.

Anger rang out around St Mary’s at the final whistle from those left behind and many of the 30,000 supporters have already left.

This was the tenth home defeat in a dismal season at St Mary’s. A dramatic summer certainly awaits the South Coast club.

As they had to, Southampton made the most of the early run. A well-disguised corner kick from James-Ward-Prowse found Theo Walcott at the near post and he tipped the ball back to Joe Aribo who shot wastefully over.

Southampton are all but sentenced to the championship after a tenth defeat in the home league

Another chance came as Walcott linked up well with Argentina’s midfielder Carlos Alcarez, but his effort near the post was tame and collected comfortably by Sam Johnstone.

Since Hodgson’s return to the club, Palace scored free and Michael Olise thought he had put the Eagles ahead as he hopped past Gavin Bazunu to score before being flagged offside.

Walcott was one of Southampton’s better players in a dismal form that saw the club fail to win any of their previous five games.

He should have put Saints ahead after being pipped by the lively Kamaldeen Sulemana, but the 34-year-old fired off the outside of the post into the side netting.

This was a game much more important for Southampton than for Palace as Hodgson’s side had won their last two games to move clear of the bottom three.

But Saints had scored just 24 goals in 30 games before the Eagles’ visit to the south coast and, despite dominant possession and chances, were once again unseen by half time.

Ruben Selles’ side tried to avoid a record ten home defeats and as the half drew to a close there was a bit of boos around St Mary’s.

Selles responded by gesturing to the crowd to calm down and support his players before thundering through the tunnel to deliver his calm message.

Crystal Palace came from a different side after half-time in their previous game against Leeds United, beating Javi Gracia’s side 1–5.

The second half at St Mary’s started in exactly the same way as Eze put them ahead from close range after Bazunu pushed Jordan Ayew’s cross into the box.

As Southampton struggled to mount any sort of reaction, Palace almost scored again when Joel Ward pulled the ball over the goal line and just out of Odsonne Edouard’s reach.

Visiting fans cheered ‘Roy Hodgson, he’s one of us’ after Eze’s second goal of the match

They didn’t have to wait long for the second goal and Eze’s play again. This time, the 24-year-old picked up the ball 35 yards from goal, spun away from two challenges and scored low into the corner for the away supporters through the legs of Armel Bella-Kotchap.

They replied with chants of ‘Roy Hodgson, he’s one of us’ as the 75-year-old took three of three wins since returning to Selhurst Park.

In the home races, the mood was much gloomier. ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ was sung by some sections, while others opted for an early departure from St Mary’s.

Alcarez hit the post with a curling effort from 20 yards, while Bella-Kotchap made a good save from Sam Johnstone with a powerful drive, but it was much too little, much too late.