Ryan Sessegnon netted a dramatic late winner as Fulham staged a comeback to defeat already-relegated Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium.
The visitors looked set for a fourth loss in five matches before substitutes Emile Smith Rowe and Sessegnon stepped up to score vital goals and revive Fulham’s hopes of qualifying for European competition.
Saints skipper Jack Stephens had opened the scoring early on, but Smith Rowe pulled Fulham level with 18 minutes remaining, his shot deflecting heavily off Jan Bednarek and wrong-footing Aaron Ramsdale.
That equaliser gave Marco Silva’s men the momentum they needed, and in stoppage time, Sessegnon rose to meet a pinpoint cross from fellow substitute Adama Traore, heading in the winner past Ramsdale.
The victory lifts Fulham to eighth in the table, now level on points with Brighton, who also grabbed a late win over West Ham on Saturday.
Southampton - who were officially relegated on 6 April after a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham, the earliest in Premier League history - had appeared on track for a rare home victory when Stephens headed in from a Ryan Manning free-kick.
It was the defender’s first goal since December 2019 and only the fourth scored at home by the league’s bottom side this calendar year.
Fulham had struggled to make an impact for much of the game, with Smith Rowe’s strike their first effort on target after going 16 attempts without testing Ramsdale.
The Saints remain rooted to the bottom on 11 points, matching Derby County’s infamous low from the 2007-08 season - with four games still to play.
