Matheus França’s header for Crystal Palace breaks Southampton hearts | Premier League

Don’t worry, Derby County fans, there’s still hope. As the game approached injury time, it seemed like the long-standing indignity of 17 years would continue, with Southampton on the brink of surpassing Derby’s all-time Premier League low of 11 points.

But Southampton has a way of undoing their own hard work, and Matheus França’s late equalizing goal for Palace kept Ivan Juric’s team at the bottom of the table, just one point behind Derby. The wait to shake off such minor, yet significant, matters continues.

After a string of nine consecutive home league losses, Paul Onuachu’s early goal finally put an end to the drought. The team put in a spirited performance that could have earned them more.

Unfortunately, wins have been hard to come by this season, and they still hold the unwanted record of dropping more points after taking the lead than any other Premier League club this season.

Juric expressed pride in his team’s performance but lamented the missed opportunity for a victory. He stated, “I’m very proud of the way we played today and very disappointed that we didn’t win because I think we did almost everything right. I’m really sorry for the fans and the guys because I think we deserved it.”

The challenge for Juric’s players to prove they are not “the worst team in the history of the Premier League” remains. Relegation could be confirmed as early as this weekend.

França’s late goal spared Palace from embarrassment against a team they were expected to beat easily. With tough matches against top-half opponents still to come, their recent talk of a potential European challenge through the league may have been premature. The FA Cup offers their best chance, having secured a spot in the semi-finals last weekend.

Oliver Glasner praised his team for earning a hard-fought point, acknowledging the tough nature of the game. He said, “It was tough, everybody could see it and feel it. We were not at our best today. We were a bit mentally tired. We can’t take it for granted that we go everywhere and win.”

The match saw a sparse crowd at St Mary’s, with Southampton dominating play after Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early chance hit the crossbar. Mateus Fernandes’ excellent cross led to Onuachu’s header finding the back of the net.

Despite Southampton’s dominance, Palace had their chances with Ramsdale making crucial saves to keep them in the game. França’s late equalizer dashed Southampton’s hopes of a Premier League victory once again.

In the end, the game ended in a draw, leaving both teams with mixed emotions and the realization that there is still work to be done in the remaining fixtures.