Southampton 3-3 Bournemouth: Premier League – Three Match Takeaways
By Joe Mcindoe
We Are Staying up!
Bring out the bunting, set up the fireworks, and pour the champagne because we are staying up!
That’s right, despite a terrible first half of the season, and having dropped the most points from positive positions Saints have officially done enough to survive the drop.
The draw against the cherries sees Southampton go seven points clear of Cardiff. The Bluebirds surprisingly went down to an already relegated Fulham.
After once again blowing a late lead, it is notable that Saints opted to actively play for the draw and rely on Cardiff’s failings elsewhere. The move felt like an irritatingly conservative one during the game, but ultimately pushed the side over the line.
While the draw allows the red and white army to look forward to next season’s top-flight campaign, it heaps pressure on relegation rivals Cardiff. Given Brighton’s crucial draw with Newcastle, Neil Warnock’s side sit four points off the pace. Warnock’s charges face an uphill battle against Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
The seagulls have a harder run in with Arsenal and Manchester city to come. Despite this, the crucial point against the magpies means that their Welsh rivals must pull off the unlikely feet of two positive results.
Although, they sit on the Premier League ejector seat, Cardiff have fought hard to make the relegation scrap a hotly contested battle. The gaffer has done an excellent job to bring the total up to nine wins with a side lacking a degree of quality.
While the team has shown the ability to be well organised and to fight hard, the quality they will have to face it old Trafford, will likely prove the difference.