(The FA via Getty Images)
Follow live coverage as Southampton face Wolverhampton Wanderers today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.
The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be chasing Pep Guardiola’s side, but just as fascinating will be the race for Champions League places, with more teams than ever before having designs on top-four finishes. Chelsea remain big-spending, Manchester United’s latest rebuild continues and both Tottenham and Newcastle will expect improvements this year – yet it was Aston Villa who snared fourth last term.
Meanwhile, it’s Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town who made it back to the elite after promotion last year and each will have hope they can make it more than a one-year stay. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:
Southampton FC 1 – 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:40
Ait-Nouri is forced off and is replaced for the final ten minutes by Bueno.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:40
Ait-Nouri has gone down with cramp twice inside a minute, and the home support isn’t happy as they believe this to be a time-wasting tactic from the defender. Wolves though are preparing a change on the sidelines.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:39
Wolves have conceded nine goals to opposition substitutes in the Premier League this season, more than any other team. Saints now pushing for an equaliser with that goal injecting some belief into the home crowd.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:35
It opens up for Walker-Peters and he looks to drive inside, but he is dispossessed and Wolves counter-attack quickly again.Guedes plays a lovely dinked pass into Sarabia who is denied by Ramsdale before the flag goes up from the assistant referee.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:34
Goal Ebere Paul Onuachu
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:32
Big chance for Gomes! Wolves win the ball back high up the pitch and Toti pulls the ball back to Gomes, who then only has the goalkeeper to beat, but he places his shot the wrong side of the post. That would have been game over if that had gone in!
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:29
Bellegarde, who assisted both of the Wolves goals, is off and replaced by Sarabia.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:28
Substitution Yukinari Sugawara Cameron Desmond Archer
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:28
Substitution Marshall Nyasha Munetsi Gonçalo Manuel Ganchinho Guedes
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:27
Bellegarde wins a free-kick off Ugochukwu on the half-way line and is able to relieve some of the pressure which has been building on the visitors’ goal.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:26
Saints are camped into the Wolves half now, but they need to make the most of this good spell if they are to get back into the game.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:23
Lovely footwork from Dibling as he dances past a host of Wolves bodies and dribbles into the penalty area. The winger is about to pull the trigger, but Doherty puts in an excellent tackle from behind to deny a shot on goal.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:22
Another opportunity for the hosts! A deep corner is met by Onuachu and his header is palmed away by Sa and behind for another set-piece for Saints.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:21
Chance for Saints! It opens up for Sugawara inside the penalty area, and his right footed strike forces Sa into a fingertip save!
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:20
Doherty is perhaps lucky to escape the first yellow card of the match for a foul on Manning, with the Saints player looking to lead a promising counter-attack.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:17
After receiving treatment, Strand Larsen is good to continue and the hosts restart the game with possession inside the Wolves half.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:15
Concern for Wolves here as Strand Larsen has gone down off the ball. Already without Cunha, the visitors don’t want to lose another key attacking player.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:14
Too easy for Wolves again when they do attack the Saints defence. Bellegarde has too much time inside the penalty area to clip a cross to the back post. Semedo rises above the defender, but can’t get a clean connection on his header.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:14
Saints have scored just 20 goals in 28 Premier League fixtures, and they need two here if they are to now take anything from this game. A mountain to climb now for the league’s bottom club.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:11
The worst possible start to the second half for Southampton, and any hopes of a comeback victory may have just gone within two minutes of the second half.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:07
Assist Jean-Ricner Bellegarde
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:05
Southampton get the second half started.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
16:04
A change for Southampton at the break. Onuachu replaces Fernandes in attack.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:59
The Opta supercomputer is giving Wolves a 74.5% chance of coming away with those all important three points. Southampton are given just a 6.6% chance of turning this game around. A draw is 18.9% likely. A massive second half in the battle to stay in the Premier League is coming up shortly.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:56
Wolves hold an important 1-0 lead at St Mary’s at half-time against Southampton thanks to a Strand Larsen header. The Norweigan was picked out wonderfully by Bellegarde, and the striker guided his header perfectly into the bottom corner of the net. That was the visitors’ first shot of the game, as the hosts started the better of the two sides. Sa though has not been tested, as Saints again lack a cutting edge in-front of goal. The hosts have created an xG of just 0.12 in that first half, whilst Wolves have created an xG of 0.21.As it stands Wolves are going nine points clear of the bottom three, in what would be a massive three points for Vitor Pereira’s side.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:50
HALF-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 1-0 WOLVES
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:48
One minute of added time to be played at the end of this first half.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:47
Wolves break quickly from a Saints free-kick and Semedo clips the ball into the penalty area. The cross is cleared to Ait Nouri whose long-range effort needs to be saved by Ramsdale.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:45
Half-time is approaching and Wolves will be the happier of the two sides with this one-goal advantage. The visitors have been able to deal with Southampton’s threat well so far, despite the hosts enjoying nearly 60% possession.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:43
Agbadou is forced to concede a corner, but Saints waste the opportunity with Sa able to comfortably come off his goal-line and claim the cross.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:42
It is good build-up play again from Southampton, but the final pass is lacking. The Saints have yet to attempt a shot on target.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:39
The two teams are battling for possession in the middle of the park. Neither side are being able to dominate proceedings here.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:37
Fernandes’ free kick floats over the head of all the Saints players inside the Wolves penalty area, but they win themselves a throw-in which Manning is preparting to launch into the box.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:34
The referee has a word with Munetsi after a late foul by the midfielder, which allows Southampton to regain possession with a free-kick on the half-way line.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:33
Fernandes turns away well from two Wolves players and looks to drive Southampton up the pitch, but his pass forward to Dibling evades the winger and the ball rolls out for a Wolves throw-in.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:32
The visitors are seeing more of the ball now inside the Southampton half, but Ramsdale is still be tested in this match.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:30
That was Strand Larsen’s eighth Premier League goal of the season and a crucial one for Wolves, especially as they are without Cunha for this clash due to suspension.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:28
Manning whips a cross into the penalty area, with Harwood-Bellis waiting to head the ball home, but Sa does well to come out and claim.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:25
After a bright start, how do the hosts react to going behind? History tells us not very well. Southampton haven’t won a match when conceding the opening goal at home in the Premier League this season.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:22
Assist Jean-Ricner Bellegarde
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:21
Goal Jørgen Strand Larsen
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:20
Aribo and Fernandes seem to get in eachother’s way as they go to attack the same ball in the penalty area. That was a big chance for Saints, but thankfully for Wolves the ball sails over the crossbar.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:18
Southampton have conceded 68 goals in the Premier League this season, the most of any side. Wolves though are still yet to attempt a shot on goal in this match. A slow start from the visitors.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:16
Lovely play from Aribo who tries to go it alone and beats a couple of Wolves players to advance into the penalty area before his shot is blocked.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:14
Wolves have won each of their last six Premier League games against Southampton. It’s their longest winning run against an opponent in the competition, and their longest in top-flight games overall since between 1974 and 2018 against Burnley. It is Southampton though who have started the better of the two sides here.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:13
Semedo does well to get across and deal with a dangerous low ball into the box when Sulemana looked set to give Saints the lead.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:11
Good start from the hosts here who have settled into the contest well. Wolves haven’t been able to get their foot on the ball yet and are just having to weather this bright start from Southampton.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:08
Walker-Peters drives a ball forward for Suguwara and the Japanese international races into the penalty area. Saints then penetrate the edge of the Wolves penalty area, before Sugawara’s pass to Dibling is overhit and goes out for a goal-kick.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:06
It was a first Premier League victory of the season for Wolves when they beat Southampton 2-0 in the reverse fixture in November. Will it be a league double for Wolves over the Saints this season?
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:04
Wolves get the game started at St Mary’s.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
15:01
The teams are out on the pitch and kick-off is just moments away.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
14:56
Matheus Cunha serves the second game of his three-match ban meaning he is once again unavailable for selection. Therefore, with no new injury concerns, Wolves stick with the same starting line-up from their 1-1 draw against Everton last time out. There are two alterations on the bench though with Dan Bentley and Carlos Forbs replacing Sam Johnstone and Pedro Lima.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
14:51
WOLVES SUBS: Santiago Bueno, Hwang Hee-Chan, Rodrgio Gomes, Tommy Doyle, Pablo Sarabia, Dan Bentley, Carlos Forbs, Goncalo Guedes, Nasser Djiga.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
14:51
WOLVES LINE-UP (3-4-2-1): Jose Sa; Toti Gomes, Emmanuel Agbadou, Matt Doherty; Rayan Ait-Nouri, Andre, Joao Gomes, Nelson Semedo; Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Marshall Munetsi; Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
14:46
Southampton make three changes to the team that lost to Liverpool last time out. The injured duo of Jan Bedrnarek and Will Smallbone are forced to miss out, whilst Albert Gronbaek drops to the bench. Armel Bella-Kotchap, Yukinari Sugarawa and Joe Aribo are the players to come into the starting line-up.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
14:46
SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: Alex McCarthy, Flynn Downes, Jack Stephens, Adam Lallana, Nathan Wood, Cameron Archer, Albert Gronbaek, Paul Onuachu, Welington.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
14:40
SOUTHAMPTON LINE-UP (3-4-3): Aaron Ramsdale; Ryan Manning, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Armel Bella-Kotchap; Kyle Walker-Peters, Joe Aribo, Lesley Ugochukwu, Yukinari Sugawara; Mateus Fernandes, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Tyler Dibling.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
14:40
With both Ipswich and Leicester struggling to put points on the board, Wolves have been able to move six points clear of the bottom three despite their own poor form. The aim is to remain in the Premier League for Vitor Pereira’s side, and he will know that with games to come against both Ipswich and Leicester in their run in that victory against bottom of the table Saints could be key to their survival hopes. The last time Wolves visited the south coast they recorded a 1-0 win at Bournemouth, and Pereira is hoping to make it back-to-back away victories for the first time this season.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
14:35
Southampton threatened to pull off a stunning victory at league leaders Liverpool last time out when Will Smallbone’s goal gave the Saints the lead at half-time. The Reds though rallied in the second half to consign Saints to their 23rd defeat of the season after 28 games. Ivan Juric is still awaiting his first win at St Mary’s, with his solitary success coming away at Ipswich at the start of February. Juric still needs to steer his side above Derby County’s record-low 11-point haul, and he will not get many better opportunities than against a Wolves side also struggling at the wrong end of the table.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
14:35
Hello and welcome to this live text commentary of Southampton against Wolves in the Premier League.
Southampton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
13:00
Follow all the goals and latest action from the Premier League here with The Independent. Team news and line-ups coming up shortly…
