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Southampton fans have had precious few moments to be happy about this season as they slumped to a pitiful relegation a full fortnight before Easter.

But their class of 2025 have at least avoided becoming an addition to a pub quiz question after moving past Derby County’s record Premier League low total of 11 points.

Southampton may have been up against it at the end of the 0-0 draw at home to Manchester City but held on to move to 12 points for the season.

Just generationally poor, instead of all-timers.

Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, no stranger to a relegation, was quiet for most of the game as Pep Guardiola’s side failed to move out of first gear to worry him.

But as the clock ticked towards added time he was called into action, tipping away a header from Ruben Dias and then beaten by Omar Marmoush’s dipping strike which bounced off the crossbar.

Saints marked the draw with a message to Derby on social media, saying “Sorry if we got your hopes up”.

And Ramsdale added: “Not one person outside our dressing room thought we could do anything today and rightly so. People thought we would get zero points for the rest of the season, it was down to us.

“Everyone knows it’s been a difficult season for us. The sun was shining, Man City threw everything at us. That one was for the fans.

“We’re not happy at all with how the season has gone but we are definitely happy with the fact we have managed to avoid that record.

You can rely on the Premier League to bring you back to earth with a bump.

And speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s 606 phone-in after the game, Premier League winner Chris Sutton was not impressed with the Saints’ celebrations.

He said: “I don’t mind the fans celebrating because they haven’t had much to celebrate, but the players on the full-time whistle? That is embarrassing, celebrating being the second-worst Premier League team of all time with 12 measly points. How low is your bar?

“Is it something to celebrate being the second-worst team? Watching players punch the air and celebrate, that is embarrassing. It is absolute amateur hour.

Interim manager Simon Rusk – Saints’ third boss of a sorry campaign – lost his last game as a full-time manager 2-1 at home to Barnet.

It’s a long way from the National League to shutting out Erling Haaland and Co, and Rusk believes the point against Guardiola could stand the Saints in good stead back in the Championship.

They won at Wembley in the play-off final last season and will be among the favourites to return in another year – despite their frugal top-flight points tally.

Rusk said: “I understood the importance of that record, but we were focusing on performances, improvement and environment.

“We were fighting for an immense amount of pride.

“We wanted to make it clear that we were aspiring to finish the season as strong as possible. We delivered that.

“With seven games to go I was confident we could take care of this points issue and that’s what happened.

“On day one of this job I spoke about moments in football. We are not getting carried away, we know it’s been a difficult year but hopefully the supporters go home really happy.”

A 17-year wait is finally over for Danny Welbeck.

For the first time in his career, the 34-year-old striker hit double figures for Premier League goals in a single season with his penalty in Saturday’s 2-0 win at Wolves.

Shining for Brighton in the twilight of his career, Welbeck’s latest contribution helped ensure the Seagulls remain firmly in the fight to secure European football with just two games remaining.

“It is a good milestone to have – and I feel like it could have been more,” said Welbeck, who scored on his Premier League debut for Manchester United as a 17-year-old in November 2008.

“I’m looking forward to improving. We have two more games left and hopefully I’ll get some more [goals].”

Much of the former Manchester United, Arsenal and Watford player’s career has been disrupted by persistent injury issues, at least prior to his arrival on the south coast.

But he has now made as many as 29 appearances in three consecutive Premier League seasons for the first time in his career, helping him to at last score 10 goals in a campaign.

He is one goal away from matching his most productive season across all competitions, scoring 12 times for Manchester United in 2011-12.

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler said: “First of all I need to thank the medical department that Danny is on the pitch. Danny has never had so many minutes for us as he has had in this season.

“Danny is a special character, an unbelievable role model for everyone, especially the younger players, both on the pitch and on the side.

The importance of Welbeck’s goals are clear too.

Each of the former England international’s past nine goals in the competition have either put his side ahead (seven) or drawn them level (two).

They are vital interventions which have helped Brighton compete in the race for a lucrative European place, after the club had its first ever taste of football on that stage in last season’s Europa League.

More of the same will be required in Brighton’s final two games, against champions Liverpool and Europa League finalists Tottenham.

But even beyond that, Hurzeler hopes that Welbeck, who will turn 35 in November, will still continue to deliver at the top level.

“I hope [he can carry on], but I can’t see into to the future, so we will have to wait and see,” Hurzeler said.

As Welbeck achieved a milestone in his 17th season, there was an emotional first for one of his team-mates.

German 20-year-old Brajan Gruda scored his first goal for the club since joining in a £25m deal from Bundesliga side Mainz last August.

Coming on as a 59th-minute substitute for his 23rd appearance in all competitions, the midfielder sank to the ground and covered his face as his team-mates gathered to celebrate with him.

“It is always difficult when a German makes a compliment to a German,” Hurzeler joked.

“But I had to give him one because he’s sacrificed a lot and he has suffered a lot.

“He’s training hard and today he made himself a big presence. We are all happy for him.”

Gruda, speaking to Sky Sports, said: “It was a hard season for me and I’m really happy to score my first goal. I’m happy the guys come to me and celebrated with me.

United Rugby Championship

Benetton (19) 33

Tries: Odogwu, Maile, Smith, Menoncello, Umaga Cons: Umaga 4

Glasgow (0) 7

Glasgow Warriors’ hopes of a top-two finish in the United Rugby Championship were all but dashed as they fell to a heavy defeat by Benetton in Italy.

Riding high off the back of four Warriors players being selected for the British and Irish Lions tour this summer, two Benetton tries in the first 10 minutes stunned the visitors and they never recovered.

Despite Glasgow welcoming Scott Cummings and Huw Jones back, it was Italy international Paolo Odogwu and hooker Siua Maile who crossed early on, both tries converted by fly-half Jacob Umaga.

Rhyno Smith added another for Benetton before the break, with Glasgow failing to register a single first-half point.

The dominance continued in the second half as Tomasso Menoncello and Umaga both scored, with the latter adding his third and fourth conversions.

Warriors were able to get one try back when George Horne took a quick tap before finding Jones out wide, with the centre crossing.

Benetton: Smith, Mendy, Menoncello, Brex, Odogwu; Umaga, Garbisi; Gallo, Maile, Ferrari, Scrafton, Ruzza, Favretto, Zuliani, L Cannone.

Replacements: Creevy, Spagnolo, Zilocchi, N Cannone, Negri, Casilio, Marin, Fekitoa.

Glasgow Warriors: Smith, Dobie, Jones, McDowall, Steyn; Jordan, Horne; Bhatti, Matthews, Richardson, Williamson, Samuel, Cummings, Darge, Vailanu.

Gallagher Premiership

Harlequins (28) 38

Tries: Murley 3, Evans, Isgro 2 Cons: M Smith 4

Gloucester (7) 19

Gloucester’s hopes of reaching the Premiership’s play-offs suffered a major blow as they were thrashed by Harlequins.

Victory would have seen them leapfrog Sale Sharks and Saracens into fourth spot, but they were second best from the off as Quins turned on the style at Allianz Stadium.

Cadan Murley grabbed two tries and Will Evans and Rodrigo Isgro one each as the hosts had a bonus point by half-time.

Murley completed his hat-trick and Isgro added another in the second period as Quins moved up to seventh with this win.

Harlequins’ own top-four hopes had effectively been ended by three straight defeats, but they were determined to put on a show across the road from The Stoop as part of their fourth annual Big Summer Kick-Off.

Two days after being announced in the Lions’ squad, Marcus Smith was again a focus of attention.

Whether he’s a full-back or a number 10, Smith showed why he is on the plane to Australia, with a cute pass to Alex Dombrandt that led to Murley scoring the first try to get the scoreboard ticking, although there was a hint of the pass being forward.

There should have been a second try quickly after but full-back Tyrone Green dropped the ball as he was about to touch it down, and seven points went begging.

Another try was disallowed, but there was nothing wrong when Evans finished off a catch-and-drive from a five-metre lineout.

In their previous game, the Cherry and Whites had run in 13 tries in a club-record-breaking win over Exeter Chiefs.

That level was nowhere to be seen in the opening 30 minutes as they chase a top-four spot for the first time since 2019.

When they produced a moment of quality, Wade showed what rugby league’s champion side Wigan Warriors will be getting when he heads north at the end of the season, with his 91st Premiership try, moving into solo third on that list.

But they soon slipped back into bad habits as Murley sauntered through big gaps in the Gloucester defence to collect the bonus point by the break.

And he ran in his hat-trick score early in the second half as Quins exploited more holes, before Argentina winger Isgro almost walked over for his second.

The game was now over but Carreras and Cotgreave went over as they chased a bonus-point, but they came up short.

Harlequins: Green; Murley, Isgro, Beard, Waghorn; M Smith, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, Herbst, Hammond, Kenningham, Evans, Dombrandt.

Replacements: Jibulu, Els, Streeter, Launchbury, Lawday, Murray, Benson, Northmore.

Sin-bin: Dombrandt (52), Murley (68)

Gloucester: Carreras; Wade, Harris, S Atkinson, Morris; Anscombe, T Williams; Rapava-Ruskin, Blake, Clark, Fasagbon, F Thomas, Clement, Ludlow, Ackermann.

Replacements: Singleton, Knight, Gotovtsev, Jordan, Clarke, Engelfield, C Atkinson, Cotgreave.

Sin-bin: Ackermann (56)

Hearts will make an official approach to Kilmarnock on Monday in a bid to secure Derek McInnes as their new manager.

Since Neil Critchley’s dismissal last month after six months as Tynecastle boss, McInnes has been the strong favourite to take over.

His Kilmarnock team beat Dundee 3-2 on Saturday to secure Scottish Premiership safety with a third straight victory in what has been an otherwise difficult season.

In the aftermath of the win McInnes would not be drawn on the reports linking him with a move to Tynecastle, saying there had been “no contact from club to club”.

McInnes is an experienced manager in Scotland having started by taking St Johnstone to the top flight in 2009.

After a brief stint at Bristol City he then had seven years at Aberdeen where they never finished lower than fourth and won the League Cup in 2014.

McInnes departed Pittodrie in 2021 and took charge of Kilmarnock the following January, leading them to promotion back to the top flight and keeping them up on their return.

His spell at Rugby Park peaked last season when he guided the Ayrshire side to fourth place and European football.

Hearts themselves have had a turbulent season which started with their worst-ever beginning to a campaign and cost Naismith his job.

Critchley steered the club away from the bottom of the table but failed to get them into the top six and was dismissed, while there are changes off the pitch.