2016–17 Southampton F.C. Season on:
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The 2016–17
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is a professional football club based in Southampton, Hampshire, England. The club competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Their home ground since 2001 has been St Mary's Stadium, befor ...
season was the club's 18th season in the Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
and their 40th in the top division of English football
Football is the most popular sport in England. Widely regarded as the birthplace of modern football, the first official rules of the game were established in England in 1863. The country is home to the world's first football league, the oldest ...
. In addition to the 2016–17 Premier League
The 2016–17 Premier League was the 25th season of the Premier League, the top English professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992, and the 118th season of top-flight English football overall. The season ...
, the club also competed in the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
, EFL Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
and UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
. The season was the club's only campaign with manager Claude Puel
Claude Jacques Puel (; born 2 September 1961) is a French football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He spent his entire playing career with Monaco, before becoming manager of the club, leading them to the league title in his ...
, who took over from Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman (; born 21 March 1963) is a Dutch professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who is the manager of the Netherlands national football team, Netherlands national team. Koeman scor ...
on 30 June 2016. The club finished eighth in the Premier League table, having won twelve, drawn ten and lost sixteen of their 38 matches played. They were knocked out of the UEFA Europa League at the group stage, having won two, drawn two and lost two of their matches, and the FA Cup in the fourth round, while they finished as runners-up in the EFL Cup Final losing 3–2 to Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
.
Following the end of the 2015–16 season, Southampton released goalkeeper Will Britt, midfielder Gastón Ramírez
Gastón Exequiel Ramírez Pereyra (; born 2 December 1990) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Miramar Misiones.
He had spells in Uruguay with Peñarol and in Italy with Bologna before moving into ...
and defender Josh Debayo, while veteran goalkeeper Kelvin Davis retired. The club also sold striker Juanmi to Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, more commonly referred to as Real Sociedad ( ; ''Royal Society'') in English, and Erreala or Reala in Basque language, Basque, is a Spanish professional sports club in the city of San Sebastián, Donostia / San Sebastián, ...
, midfielder Victor Wanyama
Victor Mugubi Wanyama (; born 25 June 1991) is a Kenyan professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for club Dunfermline Athletic. He also plays for the Kenya national team.
Wanyama became the first ever Kenyan player to sc ...
to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
, winger Sadio Mané
Sadio Mané (born 10 April 1992) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a forward or left winger for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr and the Senegal national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest African players o ...
to Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
, striker Graziano Pellè to Shandong Luneng
Shandong Taishan Football Club () is a Chinese professional football club based in Jinan, Shandong, that competes in . Shandong Taishan plays its home matches at the Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium, located within Lixia District. Their c ...
, defender Bevis Mugabi to Yeovil Town, and defender Jordan Turnbull
Jordan Robert Turnbull (born 30 October 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central defender for club Tranmere Rovers.
Turnbull began his career with the academy of Southampton, signing his first professional contract in ...
to Coventry City
Coventry City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Coventry, West Midlands. The club plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club is nicknamed The Sky Blues after the sky blue colou ...
. Goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga
Paulo Dino Gazzaniga Farías (born 2 January 1992) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Girona.
Early life
Gazzaniga was born in Murphy, Santa Fe, the same small town in Argentina where his future ...
and striker Sam Gallagher were sent out on full-season loans to Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D. (), often abbreviated to Rayo (Spanish for "thunderbolt"), is a Spanish professional football club based in the Villa de Vallecas district of Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish foot ...
and Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
, respectively, while defender Jason McCarthy and midfielder Dominic Gape moved to Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located ...
and Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 188 ...
, respectively, until January.
In the summer transfer window, the Saints also made a number of new signings. First, on 1 July, they bought winger Nathan Redmond from Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
for a fee in the region of £10 million, before Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg joined from Bayern Munich
Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), commonly known as Bayern Munich (), FC Bayern () or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. They are most known for their men's professional football team, ...
for a reported fee of £12.8 million ten days later. On 1 August, goalkeeper Alex McCarthy joined from Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
for an undisclosed fee, while French defender Jérémy Pied
Jérémy Victor Pied (born 23 February 1989) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a right-back.
Club career Lyon
Born in Grenoble, Pied made his Ligue 1 debut for Olympique Lyonnais on the opening day of the 20 ...
joined on a free transfer from OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice (), commonly referred to as OGC Nice or simply Nice, is a French professional association football, football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of Footb ...
on the same day. Shortly before the transfer window closed, the club signed Moroccan midfielder Sofiane Boufal from Lille
Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...
for a club record fee of £16 million, as well as bringing in former Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system.
Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
goalkeeper Stuart Taylor, who had been a free agent for over a year.
When the transfer window reopened in January 2017, Dominic Gape's loan move to Wycombe Wanderers was made permanent in a free transfer, while Jason McCarthy's loan spell at Walsall was extended until the end of the season. On 20 January, captain José Fonte
José Miguel da Rocha Fonte (born 22 December 1983) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains Primeira Liga club Casa Pia.
He started his professional career with Sporting CP B, moving to England with ...
left Southampton after seven years at the club, joining West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
for £8 million. On transfer deadline day, the club signed Tunisian goalkeeper Mouez Hassen on loan from Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million as well as bringing in Italian international striker
Southampton began the
On 2 January 2017, in their third game in six days, Southampton travelled to
In their first home game in almost two months, Southampton were held to a goalless draw by local rivals
;Norwich City (7 January 2017)
Southampton entered the
;Crystal Palace (21 September 2016)
As a club competing in both the
;Players transferred in
;Players loaned in
;Players transferred out
;Players loaned out
;Players released
Southampton F.C. official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:2016-17 Southampton F.C. season Southampton F.C. seasons
Manolo Gabbiadini
Manolo Gabbiadini (; born 26 November 1991) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for UAE Pro League club Al-Nasr and the Italy national team.
Gabbiadini began his professional career with Atalanta, where he made his Ser ...
from Napoli
Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
in a £14 million deal. After the window closed, the club also signed Uruguayan centre-back Martín Cáceres
José Martín Cáceres Silva (; born 7 April 1987) is an Uruguayan professional footballer for Paraguayan Primera División club Libertad. Mainly a centre-back, he can also play on either flank, mostly as a right-back.
After starting out at De ...
, who had been a free agent since leaving Juventus
Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
at the end of the previous season.
Charlie Austin finished as Southampton's top scorer for the season with nine goals in all competitions, despite having been injured between December 2016 and May 2017. New signing Nathan Redmond was the club's top scorer in the Premier League, with seven goals (eight in all competitions). Spanish midfielder Oriol Romeu
Oriol Romeu Vidal (; born 24 September 1991) is a Spanish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, Barcelona.
Romeu began his career at FC ...
won both Southampton F.C. Player of the Season awards, from the ''Southern Daily Echo
The ''Southern Daily Echo'', more commonly known as the ''Daily Echo'' or simply ''The Echo'', is a regional tabloid newspaper based in Southampton, covering the county of Hampshire in the United Kingdom. The newspaper is owned by Newsquest, on ...
'' and the club, as well as the club-run Players' Player of the Season accolade. The club's highest home attendance of the season was 31,891 against West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
in the Premier League on 4 February 2017 (their highest since April 2013), and their lowest attendance of the season was 13,517 against Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
in the FA Cup on 18 January 2017.
Pre-season
Southampton began their pre-season preparations against the D.C. United Under-23s on 15 July 2016, winning 2–0 thanks to a first-half goal fromJames Ward-Prowse
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club West Ham United.
Originally a member of Southampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut ...
and a late penalty by Jay Rodriguez
Jay Enrique Rodriguez (born 29 July 1989) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham.
Rodriguez began his career with his hometown club B ...
. Commencing a tour of the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
the following week, the Saints beat PEC Zwolle
Prins Hendrik Ende Desespereert Nimmer Combinatie Zwolle, commonly known as PEC Zwolle, is a Dutch professional football club based in Zwolle, Netherlands. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football. They have played in the Ered ...
4–0 on 23 July, with Charlie Austin opening the scoring before new signings Nathan Redmond (twice) and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (with a penalty) scored their first goals for the club. Four days later, the side won their third consecutive game by beating FC Twente
Football Club Twente (), sometimes known internationally as FC Twente Enschede, is a Dutch professional Association football, football club from the city of Enschede. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Dutch champions Sportclub E ...
2–1, with defender Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk (; born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains both club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation and ...
and striker Sam Gallagher getting on the scoresheet. The club ended their Dutch tour by extending their winning run to four with a win over FC Groningen
Football Club Groningen () is a Dutch professional association football club based in Groningen, Groningen (province), Groningen province. Founded in 1971 as the successor of GVAV-Rapiditas, GVAV, Groningen compete in the Eredivisie, the first t ...
on 30 July, the only goal scored by Austin. Upon their return to England, the Saints hosted Spanish side Espanyol on 3 August, which they drew 1–1 to end their winning run. Midfielder Oriol Romeu
Oriol Romeu Vidal (; born 24 September 1991) is a Spanish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, Barcelona.
Romeu began his career at FC ...
opened the scoring for the hosts in the first half, but Felipe Caicedo
Felipe Salvador Caicedo Corozo (born 5 September 1988) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Barcelona S.C.
A full international from 2005 to 2017, Caicedo represented Ecuador at the Copa América in 2007 and 20 ...
equalised for the visitors in the second half through a penalty, which was awarded for a foul in the penalty area by van Dijk on Léo Baptistão. In their final pre-season friendly, Southampton beat Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club (; ), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao (), or simply Athletic, is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Southern Basque Country, Basque Country, Spain. They are known ...
1–0 thanks to a goal from Shane Long
Shane Patrick Long (born 22 January 1987) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Long began his football career at Cork City. He later moved to Reading where, among other achievements, he scored three goals in ten s ...
just before half-time.
Premier League
August–October 2016
Southampton began the 2016–17 Premier League
The 2016–17 Premier League was the 25th season of the Premier League, the top English professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992, and the 118th season of top-flight English football overall. The season ...
season on 13 August 2016 with a home fixture against Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
, which ended in a 1–1 draw. Watford midfielder Étienne Capoue opened the scoring for the visitors within ten minutes, before winger Nathan Redmond scored on his debut shortly after half-time to seal a point for the hosts. The following week the club travelled to Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
to face Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
, losing 2–0 to drop to 13th in the table. Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović (born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Ibrahimović is known for his acrobatic strikes and Volley (association footba ...
opened the scoring for the hosts shortly before half-time, and later scored his second from the penalty spot after the break following a foul by Jordy Clasie on former Southampton defender Luke Shaw
Luke Paul Hoare Shaw (born 12 July 1995) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a left-back for club Manchester United F.C., Manchester United and the England national football team, England national team.
Ori ...
. On 27 August, the club drew 1–1 with Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
at St Mary's Stadium
St Mary's Stadium is a seated but also safe-standing football stadium in Southampton, Hampshire, England, which has been the home stadium of club Southampton since 2001. The stadium has a capacity of 32,384 and is currently the largest footbal ...
. The game remained goalless until late in the game, when Jermain Defoe
Jermain Colin Defoe (born 7 October 1982) is an English football coach and former professional player. He was most recently the under-18s coach at Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
Defoe was a striker and began his career with Charlto ...
opened the scoring with a penalty for a foul by José Fonte
José Miguel da Rocha Fonte (born 22 December 1983) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains Primeira Liga club Casa Pia.
He started his professional career with Sporting CP B, moving to England with ...
, before Jay Rodriguez
Jay Enrique Rodriguez (born 29 July 1989) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham.
Rodriguez began his career with his hometown club B ...
equalised five minutes before full-time. The draw saw Southampton drop further down the table to 15th.
Following a break for international fixtures, Southampton faced Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
at the Emirates Stadium
The Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a association football, football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal F.C., Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. ...
on 10 September, losing 2–1. The Saints opened the scoring within the first 20 minutes, when a Dušan Tadić
Dušan Tadić ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Тадић, ; born 20 November 1988) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer. He played most recently for Turkish club Fenerbahçe S.K. (football), Fenerbahçe. Positionally, he can be deploy ...
free kick deflected off goalkeeper Petr Čech
Petr Čech (; born 20 May 1982) is a Czech former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper and current ice hockey player who plays as a goaltender for Oxford City Stars. He has ...
into the goal. Laurent Koscielny
Laurent Koscielny (born 10 September 1985) is a French former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He is currently the sporting director of Ligue 2 club Lorient.
Born in Tulle, Koscielny began his football career playing for a ho ...
equalised for the hosts ten minutes later with an overhead kick, and in added time at the end of the game Santi Cazorla
Santiago Cazorla González (; born 13 December 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Segunda División club Oviedo. A former Spanish international, Cazorla operates primarily as an attacking midfielder, but also plays as a ...
scored a controversial penalty to secure the win. The Saints picked up their first league win of the season the following week when they beat Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club ( ; ) is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. It competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Swansea have played their home matches at ...
by a single goal, scored by Charlie Austin. On 25 September, Southampton travelled to the London Stadium
London Stadium (formerly and also known as the Olympic Stadium and the Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park) is a multi-purpose outdoor stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in the Stratford, London, Stratford district of London. It is loc ...
to face West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
, winning 3–0 to move up to the top half of the league table. The Saints dominated much of the game, with Austin opening the scoring just before half-time with his fifth goal in four games (in all competitions). Tadić scored in the 62nd minute to double the visitors' lead, before substitute James Ward-Prowse
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club West Ham United.
Originally a member of Southampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut ...
scored in injury time to make it three.
Southampton faced league champions Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
on 2 October in a game that ended goalless. Austin came closest to scoring in the first half, hitting the post once and heading on goal twice. The striker was also denied in the second half by Kasper Schmeichel
Kasper Peter Schmeichel (born 5 November 1986) is a Danish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Scottish Premiership club Celtic F.C., Celtic and the Denmark national footb ...
, while Jamie Vardy
Jamie Richard Vardy ( Gill; born 11 January 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains club Leicester City. He will become a free agent on 1 July 2025.
After being released by Sheffield Wednesday at ...
saw his side's best chance blocked later on. After another international break, Southampton hosted Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
on 16 October, winning the game 3–1. After a goalless first half, the Saints scored three goals in 15 minutes to take a commanding lead, with Austin opening the scoring after 52 minutes and Redmond scoring on 60 minutes. Austin scored a penalty six minutes later to make it three, with Sam McQueen winning the penalty on his Premier League debut, before Sam Vokes
Samuel Michael Vokes (born 21 October 1989) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for club Wycombe Wanderers F.C., Wycombe Wanderers, and formerly for the Wales national footba ...
also converted from the spot for the visitors. The following week, Southampton drew 1–1 with Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
. Redmond opened the scoring for the Saints in the 27th minute after a mistake by City defender John Stones
John Stones (born 28 May 1994) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a centre-back or defensive midfielder for club Manchester City F.C., Manchester City and the England national football team, England nation ...
, although the visitors did not have many more chances to score in the first half. After the break, the home side equalised quickly through Kelechi Iheanacho
Kelechi Promise Iheanacho () (Igbo language, Igbo: ''Ịheanachọ'', born 3 October 1996) is a Nigerian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesb ...
, but saw a number of chances to win the game prevented by Fraser Forster
Fraser Gerard Forster (born 17 March 1988) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur. He will becom ...
in the Southampton goal. The month ended with a 2–0 loss at home to Chelsea, thanks to goals from Eden Hazard
Eden Michael Walter Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Winger (association football), winger or attacking midfielder for Lille OSC, Lille, Chelsea F.C., Chelsea, Real ...
and Diego Costa
Diego da Silva Costa (, ; born 7 October 1988) is a professional Association football, footballer who most recently played as a Striker (association football), striker for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Grêmio FBPA, Grêmio.
Costa be ...
.
November–December 2016
On 6 November, Southampton lost 2–1 at the strugglingHull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...
. The Saints went a goal up within six minutes, when Charlie Austin scored a penalty awarded for a foul by Curtis Davies
Curtis Eugene Davies (born 15 March 1985) is a former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Born in England, he represented the Sierra Leone national team.
Davies began his career at Luton Town, for whom he made his professiona ...
. The visitors continued to dominate throughout the rest of the first half and into the second, although the hosts equalised through Robert Snodgrass
Robert Snodgrass (born 7 September 1987) is a Scottish former professional association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger.
Snodgrass started his senior career with Livingston F.C., Livingston. He also had a loan spe ...
in the 61st minute. Within two minutes, Hull went 2–1 through Michael Dawson, holding on for an unlikely win. On 19 November, the club returned from another international break to face Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
at St Mary's, which ended in a goalless draw. Former Saints winger Sadio Mané
Sadio Mané (born 10 April 1992) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a forward or left winger for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr and the Senegal national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest African players o ...
came close to opening the scoring for the visitors twice in the first half, before Philippe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho Correia (born 12 June 1992) is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or left winger for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club CR Vasco da Gama, Vasco da Gama, on loan fr ...
, Roberto Firmino
Roberto Firmino Barbosa de Oliveira (born 2 October 1991) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli, which he captains.
After starting his career with Figueiren ...
and Nathaniel Clyne
Nathaniel Edwin Clyne (born 5 April 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right-back or right wing-back and occasionally centre-back for club Crystal Palace.
A Crystal Palace academy graduate, Clyne made his senior debu ...
also missed good chances later on, with the home side's defence playing strongly to keep Liverpool out. The following week, Southampton beat Everton (managed by former Saints boss Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman (; born 21 March 1963) is a Dutch professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who is the manager of the Netherlands national football team, Netherlands national team. Koeman scor ...
) by a single early goal to return to tenth in the league table. Charlie Austin scored in the first minute to put the hosts ahead, converting a cross from debutant Josh Sims. Southampton continued to dominate possession and chances on goal throughout the match, with James Ward-Prowse
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club West Ham United.
Originally a member of Southampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut ...
coming closest to doubling his side's lead in the second half.
The Saints lost 3–0 to struggling Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
in their first game of December, dropping down a place in the league table as a result. Christian Benteke
Christian Benteke Liolo (born 3 December 1990) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Major League Soccer club D.C. United.
Benteke began his career at Standard Liège, playing a part in their 2008–09 Belgian Firs ...
opened the scoring for the home side in the 33rd minute after a poor clearance from Fraser Forster
Fraser Gerard Forster (born 17 March 1988) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur. He will becom ...
, before James Tomkins double Palace's lead just a few minutes later from close range. The visitors enjoyed the majority of possession and chances on goal, but Benteke struck again late on to secure the victory. The following week, Southampton picked up a 1–0 win over Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
at St Mary's Stadium to move up to tenth in the league table. After a first half of relatively few chances, Sofiane Boufal broke the deadlock shortly after the break with his first Premier League goal, striking from around 25 yards out. On 14 December, Southampton and Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team competes in the , the second level of the English football league system.
Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, the cl ...
drew 0–0 at the bet365 Stadium
The bet365 Stadium is an All-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England and the home of EFL Championship club Stoke City F.C., Stoke City. The stadium was previously called the Bri ...
. The hosts were reduced to ten men early on when Marko Arnautović
Marko Arnautović ( sr-cyr, Марко Арнаутовић; born 19 April 1989) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Inter Milan and the Austria national team.
Arnautović began his career in his nati ...
was sent off for a high-footed challenge, but the visitors failed to take advantage and break the deadlock. Jay Rodriguez
Jay Enrique Rodriguez (born 29 July 1989) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham.
Rodriguez began his career with his hometown club B ...
came closest to score, but missed from close range, while a shot from James Ward-Prowse
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club West Ham United.
Originally a member of Southampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut ...
was cleared off the line later on.
On 18 December, Southampton travelled to face local rivals Bournemouth
Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
, coming from a goal behind to win 3–1 and move up to seventh in the Premier League table. Nathan Aké
Nathan Benjamin Aké (; born 18 February 1995) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team.
Club career Chelsea Early life and career
Nathan Benjamin ...
opened the scoring for the Cherries within six minutes, but Ryan Bertrand
Ryan Dominic Bertrand (born 5 August 1989) is an English Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a left-back.
Bertrand began his youth career at Gillingham F.C., Gillingham, before ...
scored less than ten minutes later to bring the Saints level. Both sides enjoyed numerous chances to go a goal up, but it was the visitors who scored again shortly after the break, when Jay Rodriguez
Jay Enrique Rodriguez (born 29 July 1989) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham.
Rodriguez began his career with his hometown club B ...
tapped in a chance set up by substitute Steven Davis
Steven Davis (born 1 January 1985) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made his full international debut in 2005 and made 140 appearances at senior level, scoring 13 goals, to become the most cappe ...
. Southampton dominated the rest of the game, and Rodriguez scored his second of the match to seal the win late on. In their first game after Christmas, Southampton lost 4–1 to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
on 28 December. The home side opened the scoring quickly in the second minute when Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk (; born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains both club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation and ...
headed in a free kick from James Ward-Prowse
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club West Ham United.
Originally a member of Southampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut ...
, but it was the visitors who scored next as Delle Alli scored a header from Moussa Sissoko
Moussa Sissoko (born 16 August 1989) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for and captain (association football), captains club Watford F.C., Watford. He is a Midfielder#Box-to-box midfielder, bo ...
's deflected cross. After dominating much of the rest of the first half, Spurs went ahead shortly after the break through Harry Kane
Harry Edward Kane (born 28 July 1993) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Bundesliga club FC Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich and Captain (association football), c ...
, who missed a penalty a few minutes later when Alli was fouled by Nathan Redmond, who was sent off. Son Heung-min
Son Heung-min (; born 8 July 1992) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both club Tottenham Hotspur and the South Korea national team. Known for his speed, finishing, two-footedness, and ability ...
scored a third for Tottenham late on, before Alli scored his second of the game to make it four. On the final day of the year, Southampton lost at home again to West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
, who won 2–1. After enjoying the majority of possession in the first half, the hosts went one up through Shane Long
Shane Patrick Long (born 22 January 1987) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Long began his football career at Cork City. He later moved to Reading where, among other achievements, he scored three goals in ten s ...
just before half-time, although the lead was short-lived as Matt Phillips
Matthew Phillips (born 13 March 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger, forward or left wing-back for EFL Championship club Oxford United.
Born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, to a Jamaican-born father of Barbadian descent ...
equalised just a minute later. Shortly after the break, Hal Robson-Kanu scored a second for West Brom, which was enough to secure the win as the Saints failed to equalise late on. Virgil van Dijk was sent off late on for a second bookable offence.
January–March 2017
On 2 January 2017, in their third game in six days, Southampton travelled to Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a Association football, football stadium in Walton, Liverpool, Walton, Liverpool, England, it was the home of Premier League club Everton F.C., Everton from 1892 until 2025. It is now the home of Everton F.C. (women), Everton's ...
to face Everton, losing the match 3–0. After much of the game lacked clear chances on goal, the home side opened the scoring after 73 minutes when Enner Valencia
Enner Remberto Valencia Lastra (born 4 November 1989) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Internacional and captains the Ecuador national team.
Valencia previously played f ...
scored his first goal for the club. Leighton Baines scored a penalty following a foul by Maya Yoshida
is a Japanese professional footballer who captains and plays as a Defender (association football)#Centre-back, centre-back for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.
Yoshida formerly played for the Japan national football team, Japan national team ...
on Valencia less than ten minutes later, before Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku Bolingoli (; born 13 May 1993) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for club SSC Napoli, Napoli and the Belgium national football team, Belgium national team.
Lukaku began h ...
made it three before the end of the match. The loss saw the Saints drop to tenth in the table. Southampton lost their fourth consecutive league game on 14 January, after they were beaten 1–0 away to Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
. The visitors came closest to opening the scoring in the first half through Dušan Tadić
Dušan Tadić ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Тадић, ; born 20 November 1988) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer. He played most recently for Turkish club Fenerbahçe S.K. (football), Fenerbahçe. Positionally, he can be deploy ...
, whose shot was cleared off the line, and also enjoyed the majority of chances in the second period. However, it was the hosts who scored the only goal of the game through substitute Joey Barton
Joseph Anthony Barton (born 2 September 1982) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. Barton made 269 appearances in the Premier League, including 130 for Manchester City; he was most recentl ...
, who scored a free kick in the 78th minute to send the Saints down to 13th in the league table.
Southampton won their first Premier League game in over a month on 22 January, beating league champions Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
3–0 at home. James Ward-Prowse
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club West Ham United.
Originally a member of Southampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut ...
opened the scoring in the 26th minute with a first-time shot after a Cédric Soares cross from the right wing. The hosts continued to dominate, culminating in a second goal in the first half courtesy of Jay Rodriguez
Jay Enrique Rodriguez (born 29 July 1989) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham.
Rodriguez began his career with his hometown club B ...
, who converted a free-kick from Ward-Prowse. Leicester enjoyed a number of chances to get back into the game later on, with Wes Morgan
Westley Nathan Morgan (born 21 January 1984) is a former professional association football, footballer who played as a Centre Back, centre-back. Born in England, he played for the Jamaica national football team, Jamaica national team. He was als ...
coming closest to scoring for the visitors, but Southampton continued to attack as an own goal by Morgan was later disallowed as Maya Yoshida
is a Japanese professional footballer who captains and plays as a Defender (association football)#Centre-back, centre-back for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.
Yoshida formerly played for the Japan national football team, Japan national team ...
was offside. Morgan was involved again as he brought down Shane Long
Shane Patrick Long (born 22 January 1987) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Long began his football career at Cork City. He later moved to Reading where, among other achievements, he scored three goals in ten s ...
in the box in the 85th minute, with Dušan Tadić scoring the resulting penalty kick to win the game 3–0. Southampton lost 2–1 to Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club ( ; ) is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. It competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Swansea have played their home matches at ...
the following week, dropping a place in the table as a result. After a relatively slow start, Swansea opened the scoring through Alfie Mawson in the 38th minute, going into half-time with the advantage. The Saints increased the pressure after the break, with Shane Long
Shane Patrick Long (born 22 January 1987) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Long began his football career at Cork City. He later moved to Reading where, among other achievements, he scored three goals in ten s ...
equalising after 57 minutes against the run of play, although Gylfi Sigurðsson scored a second for the hosts later on.
On 4 February 2017, Southampton hosted West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
and lost 3–1 to drop back to 13th in the league table. New signing Manolo Gabbiadini
Manolo Gabbiadini (; born 26 November 1991) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for UAE Pro League club Al-Nasr and the Italy national team.
Gabbiadini began his professional career with Atalanta, where he made his Ser ...
opened the scoring on his debut after 12 minutes, but the visitors equalised just two minutes later through Andy Carroll
Andrew Thomas Carroll (born 6 January 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Championnat National 2 club Bordeaux. He has played in the Premier League and English Football League for Newcastle United, Preston No ...
. Pedro Obiang scored a long-range effort just before the break, and later on Mark Noble
Mark James Noble (born 8 May 1987) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently the sporting director of Premier League club West Ham United F.C., West Ham United. A fan of the c ...
made it three for the Hammers. The following week, Southampton picked up their biggest win of the season when they beat bottom-placed Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
4–0. After a relatively even opening to the game, Gabbiadini opened the scoring for the Saints after half an hour with his second goal in his second game, converting a cross from Ryan Bertrand
Ryan Dominic Bertrand (born 5 August 1989) is an English Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a left-back.
Bertrand began his youth career at Gillingham F.C., Gillingham, before ...
. On the stroke of half-time the recent signing doubled the visitors' lead with his third goal in two games. Shortly before full-time it was 3–0 thanks to an own goal from Jason Denayer
Jason Grégory Denayer (born 28 June 1995) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Saudi Pro League club Al Fateh and the Belgium national team.
Denayer made his professional debut while on loan at Celtic, being nam ...
, and in injury time Shane Long
Shane Patrick Long (born 22 January 1987) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Long began his football career at Cork City. He later moved to Reading where, among other achievements, he scored three goals in ten s ...
made it four to take Southampton up to 11th in the table. Wahbi Khazri
Wahbi Khazri (; born 8 February 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder, left winger or forward (association football), forward for club Montpellier HSC, Montpellier.
Trained at SC Bastia, Bastia from 2004, Khaz ...
scored a consolation before the end, but it was disallowed for handball.
In their first game after the 2017 EFL Cup Final, Southampton went ahead of Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
in the table when they beat the side 4–3 at Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road is a stadium in Watford, England, and is the home stadium of EFL Championship, Championship club Watford F.C., Watford. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 22,200.
History
It has been the home of Watford since 1922, w ...
on 4 March 2017. The hosts went ahead within four minutes through captain Troy Deeney
Troy Matthew Deeney (born 29 June 1988) is an English professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. He was most recently player-manager of Forest Green Rovers F.C., Forest Green Rov ...
, but the Saints responded and equalised 24 minutes later through Dušan Tadić
Dušan Tadić ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Тадић, ; born 20 November 1988) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer. He played most recently for Turkish club Fenerbahçe S.K. (football), Fenerbahçe. Positionally, he can be deploy ...
following some poor defending. Nathan Redmond put the visitors ahead on the stroke of half-time, after Tadić and James Ward-Prowse
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club West Ham United.
Originally a member of Southampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut ...
worked the opportunity. Southampton pushed for a third into the second half, with Manolo Gabbiadini
Manolo Gabbiadini (; born 26 November 1991) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for UAE Pro League club Al-Nasr and the Italy national team.
Gabbiadini began his professional career with Atalanta, where he made his Ser ...
coming closest to scoring, but the Hornets equalised through Stefano Okaka
Stefano Chuka Okaka (; born 9 August 1989) is an Italian former Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward.
He began his career at AS Roma, Roma, debuting shortly after his 16th birthday and being lo ...
on 79 minutes. Gabbiadini scored his sixth goal for the Saints just four minutes later and Redmond scored a fourth for Southampton, with Abdoulaye Doucouré
Abdoulaye Doucouré (born 1 January 1993) is a professional association football, footballer. Born in France, he played for the Mali national football team, Mali national team.
Early life
Doucouré was born in Meulan-en-Yvelines, to Malian paren ...
scoring a third for Watford in stoppage time. On 19 March, Southampton lost 2–1 at Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
. Christian Eriksen
Christian Dannemann Eriksen (; born 14 February 1992) is a Danish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United F.C., Manchester United and the Denmark national football team, ...
opened the scoring within 15 minutes from the edge of the penalty area, before Dele Alli
Bamidele Jermaine "Dele" Alli ( ; born 11 April 1996) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for club Como 1907, Como.
Born and raised in Milton Keynes, he joined the youth system at ...
doubled the home side's lead with a 33rd-minute penalty awarded for a foul by Steven Davis
Steven Davis (born 1 January 1985) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made his full international debut in 2005 and made 140 appearances at senior level, scoring 13 goals, to become the most cappe ...
. Dušan Tadić missed a close-range chance on goal before the break, before James Ward-Prowse scored just after half-time to bring the Saints back into the game. Spurs held off further Saints attacks for the 2–1 win.
April–May 2017
In their first home game in almost two months, Southampton were held to a goalless draw by local rivals Bournemouth
Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
. The hosts enjoyed the majority of possession early on, with a goal from Jay Rodriguez
Jay Enrique Rodriguez (born 29 July 1989) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham.
Rodriguez began his career with his hometown club B ...
being disallowed due to offside. The Cherries responded later in the first half, with former Saints player Andrew Surman seeing an effort cleared off the line by Steven Davis
Steven Davis (born 1 January 1985) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made his full international debut in 2005 and made 140 appearances at senior level, scoring 13 goals, to become the most cappe ...
12 minutes before the break. The second half started off slow, before both sides began pressuring the goals, with Bournemouth coming close to breaking the deadlock multiple times. In the 77th minute the visitors were awarded a penalty, although it was sent high over the crossbar by Harry Arter
Harry Nicholas Arter (born 28 December 1989) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a central midfielder, central or defensive midfielder for Precision Football, Precision in the UAE Second Division League.
He began hi ...
. Later in the week, the Saints hosted Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
and won the game 3–1. Both sides created chances on goal early in the game, but it was the visitors who struck first through Christian Benteke
Christian Benteke Liolo (born 3 December 1990) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Major League Soccer club D.C. United.
Benteke began his career at Standard Liège, playing a part in their 2008–09 Belgian Firs ...
in the 31st minute. Nathan Redmond equalised on the stroke of half-time. The hosts enjoyed the majority of the pressure after the break, and after a number of close calls Maya Yoshida
is a Japanese professional footballer who captains and plays as a Defender (association football)#Centre-back, centre-back for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.
Yoshida formerly played for the Japan national football team, Japan national team ...
scored his first league goal of the season to put the Saints in front. James Ward-Prowse
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club West Ham United.
Originally a member of Southampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut ...
scored just a minute later, as Southampton dominated Palace and saw out the game to move into the top half of the table. Southampton beat West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
three days later, closing the gap between the two sides to four points (with the Saints still having two games in hand). Jordy Clasie scored the only goal of the game in the 25th minute, striking his first Premier League goal from the edge of the penalty area. The Baggies came close to equalising at various points throughout the game, with goalkeeper Fraser Forster
Fraser Gerard Forster (born 17 March 1988) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur. He will becom ...
making a number of saves to deny the hosts and defend the win.
The following week, the Saints lost 3–0 to Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
at home. After a goalless first half, the visitors opened the scoring ten minutes after the half-time break when Vincent Kompany
Vincent Jean Mpoy Kompany (born 10 April 1986) is a Belgian professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former Association football, player who played as a centre-back. He is currently the head coach of ...
headed in a corner from David Silva
David Josué Jiménez Silva (born 8 January 1986) is a Spanish former professional Association football, footballer who played mainly as a Midfielder#Central midfielder, central or an Midfielder#Attacking midfielder, attacking midfielder and o ...
. City continued to enjoy the majority of possession and chances on goal, with Leroy Sané
Leroy Aziz Sané (; born 11 January 1996) is a German professional footballer who plays as a winger for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. He will join Süper Lig club Galatasaray on 1 July 2025.
Sané made his prof ...
doubling their lead in the 77th minute, before Sergio Agüero
Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo (born 2 June 1988), also known as Kun Agüero, is an Argentine former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. He is regarded as one of th ...
scored a third three minutes later to secure the win. Southampton managed just one chance on target in the whole game – a Maya Yoshida
is a Japanese professional footballer who captains and plays as a Defender (association football)#Centre-back, centre-back for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.
Yoshida formerly played for the Japan national football team, Japan national team ...
header in the second half. The club lost again the following week to league leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, who beat the Saints 4–2. Eden Hazard
Eden Michael Walter Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Winger (association football), winger or attacking midfielder for Lille OSC, Lille, Chelsea F.C., Chelsea, Real ...
opened the scoring for the hosts within five minutes, before Oriol Romeu
Oriol Romeu Vidal (; born 24 September 1991) is a Spanish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, Barcelona.
Romeu began his career at FC ...
scored his first goal of the season to bring Southampton level. Gary Cahill
Gary James Cahill (born 19 December 1985) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Cahill began his career playing for the AFC Dronfield youth system in Derbyshire. In 2000, he joined the Aston Villa Academy an ...
scored on the stroke of half-time, before Diego Costa
Diego da Silva Costa (, ; born 7 October 1988) is a professional Association football, footballer who most recently played as a Striker (association football), striker for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Grêmio FBPA, Grêmio.
Costa be ...
doubled Chelsea's lead ten minutes after the break. Costa scored again in the penultimate minute of normal time, before Ryan Bertrand
Ryan Dominic Bertrand (born 5 August 1989) is an English Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a left-back.
Bertrand began his youth career at Gillingham F.C., Gillingham, before ...
scored a second consolation for the visitors just before the end of the game. The club were held to a goalless draw against Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...
later in the week. The game saw very few chances for either side, with only three shots on target in the 90 minutes. Kamil Grosicki almost scored for the visitors early on with a sixth-minute free kick that hit the post, while Southampton's closest effort came in stoppage time at the end of the game, when Dušan Tadić
Dušan Tadić ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Тадић, ; born 20 November 1988) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer. He played most recently for Turkish club Fenerbahçe S.K. (football), Fenerbahçe. Positionally, he can be deploy ...
saw a penalty saved by Eldin Jakupović
Eldin Jakupović (; born 2 October 1984) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for MLS Next Pro club Chattanooga FC.
He started his professional career at Grasshopper Club Zürich in 2004, then moved to FC Thun a yea ...
to keep the Tigers fighting for Premier League safety.
On 7 May, Southampton faced Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
at Anfield
Anfield is a Association football, football stadium in the area of Anfield (suburb), Anfield, Liverpool, England, which has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since its formation in 1892. The stadium has a seating capacity of 61,276, making it the ...
in a game which ended as a goalless draw. The game featured very few chances on goal for either side, with the Saints failing to manage a shot on target the entire 90 minutes. The best chance of the game came for the home side in the second half, when a handball by Jack Stephens resulted in a penalty; however, James Milner
James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Brighton & Hove Albion. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on either wing, in midfield and ...
's spot kick was saved by Fraser Forster
Fraser Gerard Forster (born 17 March 1988) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur. He will becom ...
and the scores remained level. Marko Grujić
Marko Grujić ( sr-Cyrl, Марко Грујић, ; born 13 April 1996) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Primeira Liga club Porto and the Serbia national team.
A native of Belgrade, Grujić started his career w ...
almost scored with a header late on, but it remained goalless. Three days later the club hosted Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and lost 2–0 to the Gunners. After a first half with very few chances for either side, the visitors opened the scoring after 60 minutes when Alexis Sánchez
Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez (; born 19 December 1988), also known mononymously as Alexis, is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Udinese and the Chile national team. He is often regarded as the ...
beat two defenders to score his 20th league goal of the season. 23 minutes later, after being on as a substitute for just three minutes, Olivier Giroud
Olivier Jonathan Giroud (; born 30 September 1986) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC.
Giroud began his senior club career ...
headed in the second, securing Arsenal's ascent to fifth in the table. On 13 May, Southampton played their final away game of the season against relegated Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
, winning 2–1 to move up to ninth in the table. With a markedly changed lineup (including the debut of centre-back Martín Cáceres
José Martín Cáceres Silva (; born 7 April 1987) is an Uruguayan professional footballer for Paraguayan Primera División club Libertad. Mainly a centre-back, he can also play on either flank, mostly as a right-back.
After starting out at De ...
), the Saints started the game slowly, but opened the scoring through Jay Rodriguez
Jay Enrique Rodriguez (born 29 July 1989) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham.
Rodriguez began his career with his hometown club B ...
shortly before half-time. After coming on at the start of the second half, Nathan Redmond doubled the lead for the visitors in the 57th minute. Shane Long
Shane Patrick Long (born 22 January 1987) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Long began his football career at Cork City. He later moved to Reading where, among other achievements, he scored three goals in ten s ...
missed a penalty less than ten minutes later, before Patrick Bamford scored a consolation for Boro later on. On 17 May, the club drew 0–0 with Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
and moved up to eighth in the table. The Saints were awarded a penalty within the opening five minutes for a handball by Eric Bailly; the penalty was taken by Manolo Gabbiadini
Manolo Gabbiadini (; born 26 November 1991) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for UAE Pro League club Al-Nasr and the Italy national team.
Gabbiadini began his professional career with Atalanta, where he made his Ser ...
but saved by Sergio Romero
Sergio Germán "Chiquito" Romero (; born 22 February 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Boca Juniors.
Romero made his debut with Racing Club in the Argentine Primera División in 2007 and then transfer ...
. Bailly forced a save out of Fraser Forster later in the half, and in the second half Anthony Martial
Anthony Jordan Martial (; born 5 December 1995) is a French professional footballer who plays for Super League Greece club AEK Athens.
After playing youth football for Les Ulis, Martial began his professional career at Lyon, before transferri ...
hit the post.
On the final day of the season, Southampton hosted Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team competes in the , the second level of the English football league system.
Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, the cl ...
who beat the Saints by a single goal. Nathan Redmond gave the hosts their best chance of the game when he hit the bar at the end of the first half, before former Southampton striker Peter Crouch
Peter James Crouch (born 30 January 1981) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. He was Cap (sport), capped 42 times by the England national football t ...
scored the only goal of the game on the hour mark. The home side had a number of chances to equalise in the second half through Steven Davis
Steven Davis (born 1 January 1985) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made his full international debut in 2005 and made 140 appearances at senior level, scoring 13 goals, to become the most cappe ...
, James Ward-Prowse
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club West Ham United.
Originally a member of Southampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut ...
and Sofiane Boufal, but goalkeeper Jack Butland
Jack Butland (born 10 March 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Rangers.
Butland began his career with Birmingham City, and made his debut in the Football League in September 2011 while on loan to Le ...
made a number of saves to deny them. Due to Bournemouth
Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
losing and West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
drawing, Southampton remained eighth in the Premier League table.
League table
Results by matchday
Matches
FA Cup
;Norwich City (7 January 2017)
Southampton entered the 2016–17 FA Cup
The 2016–17 FA Cup (also known as the FA Challenge Cup) was the 136th edition of the oldest recognised football tournament in the world. It was sponsored by Emirates, and known as The Emirates FA Cup for sponsorship purposes. 736 clubs were acc ...
in the third round, facing Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
side Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
on 7 January 2017 in a match which ended in a 2–2 draw. The Premier League side went one up after 37 minutes, when defender Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk (; born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains both club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation and ...
converted a cross from winger Dušan Tadić
Dušan Tadić ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Тадић, ; born 20 November 1988) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer. He played most recently for Turkish club Fenerbahçe S.K. (football), Fenerbahçe. Positionally, he can be deploy ...
. After the break, however, the hosts equalised through a Steven Whittaker
Steven Gordon Whittaker (born 16 June 1984) is a Scottish football coach and former professional player, currently serving as the assistant manager of Ayr United. Whittaker played as a defender, primarily at right-back.
He began his senior c ...
penalty, following a foul by young goalkeeper Harry Lewis on striker Cameron Jerome
Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome (born 14 August 1986), known as Cameron Jerome, is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Jerome began his career as a trainee with Huddersfield Town, Grimsby Town, Sheffield Wednesday and ...
. In the 67th minute, Maya Yoshida
is a Japanese professional footballer who captains and plays as a Defender (association football)#Centre-back, centre-back for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.
Yoshida formerly played for the Japan national football team, Japan national team ...
scored his first goal of the season when he headed in a cross from Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, but in stoppage time at the end of the match Steven Naismith
Steven John Naismith (born 14 September 1986) is a Scottish professional association football, football coach and former player.
Naismith began his career with Kilmarnock F.C., Kilmarnock in 2004. He spent four years with the Ayrshire side wher ...
headed in to equalise and force a replay.
;Norwich City (replay) (18 January 2017)
In the replay at St Mary's Stadium, Southampton beat Norwich City by a single late goal to advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup. The game featured very few chances for either side until late in the game, with Norwich having no shots on target and only three shots overall in the full 90 minutes, with the hosts enjoying the majority of possession. Shane Long
Shane Patrick Long (born 22 January 1987) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Long began his football career at Cork City. He later moved to Reading where, among other achievements, he scored three goals in ten s ...
, James Ward-Prowse
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club West Ham United.
Originally a member of Southampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut ...
and Nathan Redmond came close to breaking the deadlock later on, and it was Long who on his 100th appearance for the club eventually scored the only goal of the game in stoppage time, when he bundled in a cross from winger Sam McQueen after his header was saved by Michael McGovern.
;Arsenal (28 January 2017)
In the fourth round of the tournament, Southampton were knocked out by Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
at home. Danny Welbeck
Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck (born 26 November 1990) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., Brighton & Hove Albion.
Welbeck m ...
, in his first start since May 2016, opened the scoring after 15 minutes and doubled the visitors' lead just seven minutes later, the second set up by former Southampton player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Ten minutes before half-time Theo Walcott
Theo James Walcott (born 16 March 1989) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward. He represented England at the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2012 and won 47 caps, scoring eight goals. Walcott currently appears as a cl ...
, another former Saint, scored a third for Arsenal. The Gunners continued to dominate in the second half, with Walcott scoring two more to complete his hat-trick and give the visitors a 5–0 win. The result was Southampton's heaviest home defeat in the FA Cup since February 1910, as well as their joint-heaviest defeat at St Mary's Stadium.
EFL Cup
;Crystal Palace (21 September 2016)
As a club competing in both the Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
and the UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
, Southampton entered the 2016–17 EFL Cup in the third round. On 21 September 2016 the club hosted Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
, beating the fellow Premier League side 2–0 to advance to the fourth round. Charlie Austin scored his fourth goal in three games in all competitions from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute to open the scoring, following a foul by Martin Kelly on Shane Long
Shane Patrick Long (born 22 January 1987) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Long began his football career at Cork City. He later moved to Reading where, among other achievements, he scored three goals in ten s ...
. After the break, young midfielder Jake Hesketh
Jake Alexander Hesketh (born 27 March 1996) is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for club Sholing.
Early and personal life
Hesketh was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, but his family moved to Whitel ...
scored his first goal for the club (in his first senior appearance since December 2014) to double Southampton's lead, which they held until the end to ensure their place in the fourth round of the tournament.
;Sunderland (26 October 2016)
In the fourth round of the EFL Cup, Southampton were drawn at home against Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
. The Saints beat the visitors on 26 October by a solitary goal to advance to the fifth round of the tournament. The only goal of the game was scored by Moroccan winger Sofiane Boufal's long-range strike into the top corner, on his first start for the home side since his move in the summer. Very few chances were enjoyed by either side throughout the 90 minutes (Southampton had only one shot on target, while Sunderland had two), and Sunderland manager David Moyes
David William Moyes (born 25 April 1963) is a Scottish professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player, who currently manages Premier League club Everton F.C., Everton. He was the 2003, 200 ...
was dismissed by the referee late on in the game as he and his side appealed for a penalty following a tackle by Maya Yoshida
is a Japanese professional footballer who captains and plays as a Defender (association football)#Centre-back, centre-back for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.
Yoshida formerly played for the Japan national football team, Japan national team ...
on Victor Anichebe.
;Arsenal (30 November 2016)
On 30 November 2016, Southampton faced Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in the fifth round of the EFL Cup, winning 2–0 to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time since 1987. Jordy Clasie opened the scoring within the first 15 minutes of the game with his first goal for the club, striking from the edge of the penalty area after Sofiane Boufal's initial effort was blocked. The home side increased the pressure in search of an equaliser, but the Saints struck again through Ryan Bertrand
Ryan Dominic Bertrand (born 5 August 1989) is an English Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a left-back.
Bertrand began his youth career at Gillingham F.C., Gillingham, before ...
shortly before half time to double their lead going into the break. The Gunners began the second half the stronger side, but the Saints later responded and came close to scoring a third goal, with Boufal and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg coming close late on.
;Liverpool (first leg) (11 January 2017)
In the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, Southampton beat Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
1–0 at St Mary's. Liverpool enjoyed the majority of possession early in the match, but Nathan Redmond opened the scoring for the hosts within 20 minutes with his first goal in the competition, after being set up by Jay Rodriguez
Jay Enrique Rodriguez (born 29 July 1989) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham.
Rodriguez began his career with his hometown club B ...
. Redmond almost made it two for the Saints on two separate occasions before the break, but was denied both times by Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius
Loris Sven Karius (born 22 June 1993) is a German professional footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for 2. Bundesliga club FC Schalke 04, Schalke 04. He represented Germany at Germany national youth football te ...
. In the second half, the home side again came closing to doubling their lead when Cédric Soares shot wide, before Shane Long
Shane Patrick Long (born 22 January 1987) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Long began his football career at Cork City. He later moved to Reading where, among other achievements, he scored three goals in ten s ...
set up another scoring opportunity for Redmond, who hit the crossbar with a chipped shot.
;Liverpool (second leg) (25 January 2017)
In the second leg, Southampton beat Liverpool 1–0 to secure a 2–0 aggregate win and advance to the 2017 EFL Cup Final. Liverpool dominated possession throughout the majority of the game, but the Saints enjoyed more clear-cut chances to score in the first half, with Dušan Tadić
Dušan Tadić ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Тадић, ; born 20 November 1988) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer. He played most recently for Turkish club Fenerbahçe S.K. (football), Fenerbahçe. Positionally, he can be deploy ...
and Steven Davis
Steven Davis (born 1 January 1985) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made his full international debut in 2005 and made 140 appearances at senior level, scoring 13 goals, to become the most cappe ...
coming closest to breaking the deadlock. The hosts increased the pressure after the break, but Daniel Sturridge
Daniel Andre Sturridge Johnson (born 1 September 1989) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. Since 2023, he has worked as a television pundit for Sky Sports.
Sturridge was scouted by Aston Villa and played for ...
missed multiple chances on goal to leave the Saints with the advantage. Emre Can came closest for Liverpool in the 53rd minute, when goalkeeper Fraser Forster
Fraser Gerard Forster (born 17 March 1988) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur. He will becom ...
failed to hold his shot before saving it off the line to keep his clean sheet. Shane Long
Shane Patrick Long (born 22 January 1987) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Long began his football career at Cork City. He later moved to Reading where, among other achievements, he scored three goals in ten s ...
finally scored the only goal of the game in stoppage time, securing Southampton's first cup final since 2003 and their first EFL Cup final since 1979. The result made Southampton the first team to advance to the final of the tournament without conceding a single goal.
;Manchester United (26 February 2017)
In the 2017 EFL Cup Final on 26 February 2017, Southampton lost 3–2 to Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
to finish as runners-up. Manolo Gabbiadini
Manolo Gabbiadini (; born 26 November 1991) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for UAE Pro League club Al-Nasr and the Italy national team.
Gabbiadini began his professional career with Atalanta, where he made his Ser ...
scored early on in the game, but the goal was controversially disallowed for offside. Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović (born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Ibrahimović is known for his acrobatic strikes and Volley (association footba ...
opened the scoring in the 19th minute, with a free-kick awarded following a foul by Oriol Romeu
Oriol Romeu Vidal (; born 24 September 1991) is a Spanish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, Barcelona.
Romeu began his career at FC ...
on Ander Herrera
Ander Herrera Agüera (; born 14 August 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Argentine Primera División club Boca Juniors.
Herrera began his career at Zaragoza, before moving to Athletic Bilbao in 2011 and ...
. Despite the Saints enjoying a spell of pressure on the United goal, Jesse Lingard
Jesse Ellis Lingard (born 15 December 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for and captains K League 1 club FC Seoul. He has won the UEFA Europa League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, and FA Community Sh ...
doubled the lead in the 38th minute. Gabbiadini brought Southampton back into the game on the stroke of half-time, converting James Ward-Prowse
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club West Ham United.
Originally a member of Southampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut ...
's cross.
After the break, Gabbiadini equalised for the Saints with his fifth goal in his first three games, as the Saints continued to dominate possession and chances on goal. The Saints continued having chances to take the lead throughout the second half, as Dušan Tadić
Dušan Tadić ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Тадић, ; born 20 November 1988) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer. He played most recently for Turkish club Fenerbahçe S.K. (football), Fenerbahçe. Positionally, he can be deploy ...
and Ward-Prowse saw efforts saved by United goalkeeper David de Gea
David de Gea Quintana (; born 7 November 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Fiorentina. Considered one of the best keepers of his generation, he is known for his reflexes and shot-stopping capabilitie ...
, and Oriol Romeu
Oriol Romeu Vidal (; born 24 September 1991) is a Spanish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, Barcelona.
Romeu began his career at FC ...
hit the post with a header from a corner, but it was Ibrahimović who scored his second and United's third to win the cup for the Red Devils.
UEFA Europa League
;Sparta Prague (15 September 2016) Southampton entered the2016–17 UEFA Europa League
The 2016–17 UEFA Europa League was the 46th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the eighth season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League.
The final was played between Ajax and ...
at the group stage, when they were drawn in Group K with Internazionale
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Since 1 ...
, Sparta Prague
Athletic Club Sparta Praha (), commonly known as Sparta Prague and Sparta Praha, is a professional football club based in Prague.
It is the most successful club in the Czech Republic and one of the most successful in central Europe, winning t ...
and Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Hapoel Be'er Sheva Football Club (, ''Moadon HaKaduregel Hapoel Be'er Sheva'') is an Israeli professional association football, football club from the city of Beersheba, Be'er Sheva, that competes in the Israeli Premier League. The club was estab ...
. In the opening match against Sparta Prague on 15 September 2016, the Saints picked up their first win of the season when they beat the Czech side 3–0. Charlie Austin opened the scoring with a fifth-minute penalty, before doubling his side's lead 20 minutes later with a header. Jay Rodriguez
Jay Enrique Rodriguez (born 29 July 1989) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Wrexham A.F.C., Wrexham.
Rodriguez began his career with his hometown club B ...
scored a third in added time at the end of the match to send Southampton to the top of the group.
;Hapoel Be'er Sheva (29 September 2016)
In their second match of the tournament, the Saints were held to a goalless draw at Israeli champions Hapoel Be'er Sheva. The game did not feature many goalscoring opportunities for either side in the first half, which Hapoel largely dominated, although James Ward-Prowse
James Michael Edward Ward-Prowse (born 1 November 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club West Ham United.
Originally a member of Southampton's youth teams, Ward-Prowse made his first-team debut ...
had a number of chances on goal after the break. The home side came closest to winning the game in the second half through Maor Melikson and Ben Sahar chances, however the deadlock stayed unbroken and both sides remained on level points at the top of the group table.
;Internazionale (20 October 2016)
On 20 October 2016 the Saints travelled to the San Siro
San Siro is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy. It has a seating capacity of 75,817, making it the largest stadium in Italy and one of the largest stadiums in Europe. It is the home stadium of the city's principal ...
to face Internazionale, losing 1–0 to the Italian side. The visitors almost scored on a number of occasions in the first half, notably when Ward-Prowse's shot went over the crossbar and Cuco Martina's went wide of the post. Antonio Candreva scored the only goal of the game in the 67th minute, before Marcelo Brozović
Marcelo Brozović (; born 16 November 1992) is a Croatian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder, defensive midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr FC, Al-Nassr.
After coming up through NK Hrvatski Dragovol ...
received a second booking and was sent off ten minutes later. However, Southampton could not take advantage of the extra player and succumbed to their first defeat in the tournament.
;Internazionale (3 November 2016)
Southampton hosted Internazionale on 3 November 2016, winning 2–1 to secure second in the group K table. After Inter captain Mauro Icardi
Mauro Emanuel Icardi Rivero (born 19 February 1993) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker for Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray, whom he captains.
Icardi began his footballing career at the youth teams of Vecindario ...
opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, the Saints were awarded a controversial penalty for a handball by Ivan Perišić
Ivan Perišić (; born 2 February 1989) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven and the Croatia national team. Usually deployed as a left winger, he has also featured as a left wing-back, ...
just before half time, while Antonio Candreva was booked for an off-the-ball incident involving Sam McQueen. Dušan Tadić
Dušan Tadić ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Тадић, ; born 20 November 1988) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer. He played most recently for Turkish club Fenerbahçe S.K. (football), Fenerbahçe. Positionally, he can be deploy ...
's penalty was saved by Samir Handanović
Samir Handanović (born 14 July 1984) is a Slovenian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. Since August 2024, he is the head coach of Inter Milan's Inter Milan Youth Se ...
, before the half ended with more drama between the players of both sides. The hosts increased the pressure in the second half, leading to defender Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk (; born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains both club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation and ...
equalising in the 64th minute with a shot in the box following a corner. Less than five minutes later, Southampton went ahead as Yuto Nagatomo Yuto may refer to:
*Yūto, a masculine Japanese given name
*Yūtō, Shizuoka, a former town in Hamana District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
*Yuto, Jujuy, a city in Jujuy Province, Argentina
*Yutō, a wooden container used for serving hot liquids, as ...
turned Tadić's cross into the Internazionale goal. Southampton held on and almost scored a third for an historic win.
;Sparta Prague (24 November 2016)
On 24 November, Southampton lost at Sparta Prague by a single goal to remain second in the group. Despite dominating possession for most of the match, the Saints enjoyed few clear chances and went behind early on when defender Costa Nhamoinesu scored a volley from close range following a free kick, which was poorly defended by the Premier League club. Goalkeeper Fraser Forster
Fraser Gerard Forster (born 17 March 1988) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur. He will becom ...
made a number of saves to deny further goals, which Prague threatened to score later on in the game. The result left Southampton needing a goalless draw or win over Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the final group stage game in order to proceed to the knockout stages.
;Hapoel Be'er Sheva (8 December 2016)
Southampton were knocked out of the UEFA Europa League on 8 December 2016 when they drew 1–1 with Hapoel Be'er Sheva at St Mary's Stadium. Despite the home side dominating much of the possession and having many more chances on goal, it was the visitors who took the advantage in the 78th minute when Maor Buzaglo scored the Israeli side's only shot on target after poor defending from the Saints, who were left needing two goals in just over ten minutes in order to advance to the knockout stages. Defender Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk (; born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains both club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation and ...
pulled one back in stoppage time, and Maya Yoshida
is a Japanese professional footballer who captains and plays as a Defender (association football)#Centre-back, centre-back for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.
Yoshida formerly played for the Japan national football team, Japan national team ...
came close to winning the game with a last-minute header, but the game ended level and Hapoel finished the group in second place.
Group table
Matches
Squad statistics
Most appearances
Top goalscorers
Transfers
;Players transferred in
;Players loaned in
;Players transferred out
;Players loaned out
;Players released
References
External links
Southampton F.C. official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:2016-17 Southampton F.C. season Southampton F.C. seasons
Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...