Southampton loses 2-0 to Brentford, stays last in EPL

Wed, Mar 15, 2023
Soccer News (AP)

SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) - Southampton missed a chance to move out of the Premier League's relegation zone by losing 2-0 at home to Brentford on Wednesday.

Ivan Toney scored one goal and set up the other for Yoane Wissa to maintain Brentford's chances of qualifying for European competition.

The Bees' 12-match unbeaten run was broken by a 1-0 loss at Everton on Saturday but they bounced back on a wet evening on the south coast, as Southampton struggled again.

A win would have lifted the Saints off last place and out of the bottom three.

However, Toney poked the ball home at the back post after a flick-on at a 32nd-minute corner for his 16th goal of the campaign in a game of few clear-cut chances. Wissa wrapped up the points in second-half stoppage time after running onto Toney's header.

Toney rewarded the faith of Brentford manager Thomas Frank, who said before the game that the striker was capable of partnering Harry Kane for England ahead of the national team's squad announcement Thursday for upcoming European Championship qualifiers.

Toney is still waiting for a Football Association verdict after being charged with 262 breaches of FA gambling rules, with a lengthy suspension possible.

Brentford climbed to eighth place, three points off fifth-place Newcastle.

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