'sorry If We Got Your Hopes Up' - Saints Avoid Unwanted Record

Southampton fans person had precious fewer moments to beryllium happy astir this play arsenic they slumped to a pitiful relegation a afloat fortnight earlier Easter.

But their people of 2025 person astatine slightest avoided becoming an summation to a pub quiz mobility aft moving past Derby County's grounds Premier League debased full of 11 points.

Southampton whitethorn person been up against it astatine nan extremity of nan 0-0 tie astatine location to Manchester City but held connected to move to 12 points for nan season.

Just generationally poor, alternatively of all-timers.

Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, nary alien to a relegation, was quiet for astir of nan crippled arsenic Pep Guardiola's broadside grounded to move retired of first cogwheel to interest him.

But arsenic nan timepiece ticked towards added clip he was called into action, tipping distant a header from Ruben Dias and past beaten by Omar Marmoush's dipping onslaught which bounced disconnected nan crossbar.

Saints marked nan tie pinch a connection to Derby connected societal media, saying "Sorry if we sewage your hopes up".

And Ramsdale added: "Not 1 personification extracurricular our dressing room thought we could do thing coming and rightly so. People thought we would get zero points for nan remainder of nan season, it was down to us.

"Everyone knows it's been a difficult play for us. The sun was shining, Man City threw everything astatine us. That 1 was for nan fans.

"We're not happy astatine each pinch really nan play has gone but we are decidedly happy pinch nan truth we person managed to debar that record.

"We are nether nary illusion it's still not a awesome points tally, but it's that 1 disconnected our back."

Interim head Simon Rusk - Saints' 3rd leader of a sorry run - mislaid his past crippled arsenic a full-time head 2-1 astatine location to Barnet.

It's a agelong measurement from nan National League to shutting retired Erling Haaland and Co, and Rusk believes nan constituent against Guardiola could guidelines nan Saints successful bully stead backmost successful nan Championship.

They won astatine Wembley successful nan play-off last past play and will beryllium among nan favourites to return successful different twelvemonth - contempt their frugal top-flight points tally.

Rusk said: "I understood nan value of that record, but we were focusing connected performances, betterment and environment.

"We were fighting for an immense magnitude of pride.

"We wanted to make it clear that we were aspiring to decorativeness nan play arsenic beardown arsenic possible. We delivered that.

"With 7 games to spell I was assured we could return attraction of this points rumor and that's what happened.

"On time 1 of this occupation I said astir moments successful football. We are not getting carried away, we cognize it's been a difficult twelvemonth but hopefully nan supporters spell location really happy."

Next up is different chance to put their names successful nan history books, pinch Saints nan last ever visitors to Goodison Park on 18 May.