Southampton had been denied a beneficial level late on as they fell 2-1 to Fulham on New Yr’s Eve.
Nathan Jones’ Saints had been the higher facet for a lot of the day however had been wasteful at each ends and go away west London empty handed.
A decent opening noticed Che Adams try to interrupt the impasse with an audacious 50-yard effort having seen Bernd Leno stray off his line, however his strike was wayward.
The house followers thought Willian had given them a Twelfth-minute lead when he flashed a half-volley at Gavin Bazunu’s close to submit, but it surely brushed the paint of the upright and went behind for a aim kick.
Adams once more went shut for the Saints on the counter, beating the offside lure and racing in to face Leno, who dangled a leg at his shot to deflect the shot large.
From the ensuing nook, Adams was on the coronary heart of Southampton’s menace once more, with Joao Palhinha placing in a last-ditch block to forestall the Scotland worldwide from discovering the web.
The guests had been persevering with to make the higher possibilities, with Samuel Edozie enjoying a neat one-two with Adams and firing down the throat of Leno earlier than Mohamed Elyounoussi’s searing shot almost discovered the highest nook.
A low cross from Antonee Robinson managed to evade Bazunu however was cleared simply in time by Armel Bella-Kotchap, and from the next nook, Fulham took the lead. Willian’s intelligent cutback was volleyed on by Andreas Pereira, and James Ward-Prowse’s failed clearance noticed the ball loop up and into the highest nook.
Fulham got here near doubling the benefit simply after half-time, with Pereira in some way firing a cross from Bobby De Cordova-Reid up and previous the far submit.
Quickly after, Southampton discovered a leveller via skipper Ward-Prowse, whose 25-yard free-kick dipped up and over the wall, with Leno solely managing to get his fingertips to it.
The Saints almost went forward nearly instantly after drawing degree, with Ward-Prowse choosing out Edozie in area, just for Leno and the retreating Kenny Tete to disclaim the winger.
Tete once more needed to be alert when Edozie seemed to latch onto a free ball around the again of the Fulham defence, with the Dutchman sliding in and poking it behind for a nook.
With beneath 5 minutes remaining, Fulham edged themselves again in entrance via Palhinha, who met Tete’s flick-on from a Pereira nook.
Deep into stoppage time, Dan James was introduced down by Bazunu and Fulham had been awarded a penalty. The Irishman made amends by saving Aleksandar Mitrovic’s spot kick, however Southampton had been unable to search out an equaliser within the sport’s remaining seconds.
GK: Bernd Leno (6); RB: Kenny Tete (7), CB: Issa Diop (6), CB: Tim Ream (5), LB: Antonee Robinson (6); CM: Harrison Reed (5); CM: Joao Palhinha (8); RM: Bobby De Cordova-Reid (5), AM: Andreas Pereira (6), LM: Willian (7); CF: Aleksandar Mitrovic (4)
Subs: Tom Cairney (6), Dan James (4), Tosin Adarabioyo (N/A)
Supervisor: Andre Silva (6)
GK: Gavin Bazunu (6); CB: Armel Bella-Kotchap (6), CB: Lyanco (3), CB: Mohammed Salisu (6); RM: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (7), CM: James Ward-Prowse (7), CM: Mohamed Elyounoussi (6), LM: Kyle Walker-Peters (6); RF: Joe Aribo (6), LF: Samuel Edozie (7); CF: Che Adams (6)
Subs: Stuart Armstrong (4), Romain Perraud (5), Sekou Mara (N/A), Adam Armstrong (N/A), Romeo Lavia (N/A)
Supervisor: Nathan Jones (6)
