Follow live coverage as Southampton face Everton today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.
The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be chasing Pep Guardiola's side, but just as fascinating will be the race for Champions League places, with more teams than ever before having designs on top-four finishes. Chelsea remain big-spending, Manchester United's latest rebuild continues and both Tottenham and Newcastle will expect improvements this year - yet it was Aston Villa who snared fourth last term.
Meanwhile, it's Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town who made it back to the elite after promotion last year and each will have hope they can make it more than a one-year stay. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:
Southampton FC 1 - 0 Everton FC
Southampton vs Everton
17:03Southampton have won their first game of the Premier League season after beating Everton 1-0 here at St Mary’s. The majority of the game was how many expected it to play out, with neither side wanting to take any risks and the danger of defeat hanging over their heads. The first half was placid, and only a couple of half-chances were created, with Archer missing the best opportunity as he dragged a shot to the wrong side of the post. It was 0-0 at half-time, and the second half began in the same manner. Both sides were too worried about conceding that they weren’t playing to score. Chances were starting to come for Southampton around the 70-minute mark, but their attackers failed to take any opportunities that were created. Then, in the 85th minute, as the game looked to end 0-0, Sugawara sent a low cross into Armstrong’s path, and he swept a right-footed shot past Pickford and sent St Mary’s wild. That made it 1-0 to Southampton, but Everton thought they had equalised in the 89th minute after Beto finished past Ramsdale from a long Tarkowski pass. After a lengthy VAR check, he was found to have been offside, and the goal was disallowed. Eight minutes of added time later, Southampton picked up their first three points of the season. Southampton created 0.69 xG during the game, and Everton managed to create 1.49 xG but couldn’t score a goal from any of their opportunities! Thank you for joining this live text commentary, goodbye!
Southampton vs Everton
16:58FULL-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 1-0 EVERTON
Southampton vs Everton
16:57Yellow Card Ebere Paul Onuachu
Southampton vs Everton
16:56The game goes on…! Everton are still fighting as they pile players into the box.
Southampton vs Everton
16:52Archer comes off in the final minutes after a good performance on the whole here. He is replaced by Onuachu, who gives a different dimension up top.
Southampton vs Everton
16:52Substitution Mateus Gonçalo Espanha Fernandes Lesley Chimuanya Ugochukwu
Southampton vs Everton
16:52There will be four added minutes!
Southampton vs Everton
16:52NO GOAL! The VAR has disallowed Beto’s second late goal in the space of a week! He was judged to have been offside as Tarkowski played the ball over. Painful. The score remains 1-0 to Southampton.
Southampton vs Everton
16:51GOOOOAL! It’s 1-1! Beto has equalised in the 89th minute to bring the game level! Tarkowski sent a long ball forward, and Beto touched it down and finished past Ramsdale brilliantly. The VAR is checking for offside, and the striker did look off as the ball was played through.
Southampton vs Everton
16:49Assist James Alan Tarkowski
Southampton vs Everton
16:48Substitution Jesper Grænge Lindstrøm Jarrad Paul Branthwaite
Southampton vs Everton
16:46Assist Yukinari Sugawara
Southampton vs Everton
16:45OFF THE BAR! Beto smashes a header off the bar! Tarkowski headed a cross back across goal, and the Portuguese man headed the ball towards goal—only to see it reverberate back off the crossbar.
Southampton vs Everton
16:45Goal Adam James Armstrong
Southampton vs Everton
16:45Yellow Card Tyler-Jay Robert Dibling
Southampton vs Everton
16:44This game looks like it’s heading for a goalless draw with the way the final stages are playing out. However, this is the Premier League, so anything could happen.
Southampton vs Everton
16:42Fernandes is down after a clash with Young. The Everton players look bemused as the Southampton man returns to his feet, and he is booked as well. Young bumped the ball into Fernandes’ face after he refused to move, and he was booked for delaying the game.
Southampton vs Everton
16:40CLOSE! Harrison nearly scores! McNeil whips in a cross from the left, and Harrison looks to have lifted a shot over the onrushing Ramsdale. It bounces agonisingly wide and the score is STILL 0-0!
Southampton vs Everton
16:39Southampton make another change as they look to anyone who can make a difference. Their captain, Stephens, is taken off, and Sugawara replaces him for the final 10 minutes or so.
Southampton vs Everton
16:38The on-field decision of a yellow card is confirmed, and Everton have a free-kick.
Southampton vs Everton
16:36Yellow Card Jan Kacper Bednarek
Southampton vs Everton
16:35Fernandes clips a floating ball into the danger area, and the Everton defence does well yet again to clear the ball before anything more can come from it.
Southampton vs Everton
16:34Mangala commits a silly foul on Walker-Peters, and he is lucky to escape a booking from Andy Madley. It’s one of those that you’ve seen given.
Southampton vs Everton
16:33Southampton are now camped inside the Everton half, consistently going forward. When they are pushed back, they regain possession well and go again. There could be late drama here.
Southampton vs Everton
16:29Archer is called offside again after Dibling found him with a nice through ball. The Southampton striker needs to calm down with his runs because he is getting into good positions, but there is always a question of offside.
Southampton vs Everton
16:27WHAT A SAVE! Ramsdale saves from Keane brilliantly after the defender met a cross at the back post. He got down superbly to stop the header going into the bottom right corner.
Southampton vs Everton
16:26Everton earn their fifth corner of the game, which is cleared as far as Gueye. He tries a side-footed shot from outside the box, but it is blocked.
Southampton vs Everton
16:25Southampton are still playing a possession game, but the key difference is they are playing much further up the pitch now. They actually look dangerous at times, but the score remains 0-0.
Southampton vs Everton
16:22Substitution Dominic Nathaniel Calvert-Lewin Norberto Bercique Gomes Betuncal
Southampton vs Everton
16:22Aribo sends a wayward shot a long way over the bar; after the chance to strike fell to him outside the box. That was a poor attempt.
Southampton vs Everton
16:22Substitution Iliman Cheikh Baroy Ndiaye Jack David Harrison
Southampton vs Everton
16:20Manning makes way after a solid performance over 60 minutes. Dibling comes on to offer the home team some creativity in attack. He was unlucky to miss out on starting this game.
Southampton vs Everton
16:18The noise levels inside the stadium are rising now as both teams start to put together better attacks. Everton are the latest team to get a corner following a Lindstrom cross that was cleared out.
Southampton vs Everton
16:17CHANCE! Harwood-Bellis shoots wide! The ball fell to him following a deflection in the box, and the defender snatched at the shot from seven yards and saw it blocked and behind for a corner.
Southampton vs Everton
16:15Yellow Card Michael Vincent Keane
Southampton vs Everton
16:14Armstrong breaks down the right again and picks out a nice reverse cross to the edge of the box. Fernandes took far too long to take a shot, and then Manning tripped over the ball as he collected it from his teammate.
Southampton vs Everton
16:13Young produces some great defending to shut down a potential Southampton attack on the left. He is still putting in great performances week after week, at the age of 39. Brilliant.
Southampton vs Everton
16:11Mangala strikes a side-footed shot from outside the box at Ramsdale. The goalkeeper looked to be diving the opposite way to the shot to begin with, so it ended up being a decent save to keep the game level.
Southampton vs Everton
16:10There is a calm hush that has descended over St. Mary’s after only five minutes of the second half. You get the feeling that both sets of fans just want to see some attacking chances for their teams.
Southampton vs Everton
16:08Southampton have started the better of the two teams, but like the first half, they have struggled in the final third and are yet to create anything clear-cut so far.
Southampton vs Everton
16:05KICK-OFF! Southampton get the second half going, and we are under way again.
Southampton vs Everton
16:04Substitution Adam David Lallana Joseph Oluwaseyi Temitope Ayodele-Aribo
Southampton vs Everton
15:57Looking to the second half, Russell Martin will want the same energy levels from his side. They have managed to create the best of the few opportunities in this game, and now they need to put one of them away, at least. They don’t look troubled in defence, but as we know, Everton can score from all kinds of situations, and sometimes out of nothing. For Everton, Sean Dyche will want them to continue pressing the Southampton backline, as there is always potential for an opportunity following a mistake. He will know that his side are capable of nicking the win, but they will need to create better opportunities in the second half.
Southampton vs Everton
15:54It’s half-time at St. Mary’s, and despite over 45 minutes of football being played, neither team looks like they have gotten going yet. The game began in the fashion that you may have expected from this match, but unfortunately for the fans in the stadium, it has also continued in that way. Both sides have been tentative when going forward and have failed to create a real big chance. There have been glimpses of opportunity from Southampton’s strategy to play out from the back, but Everton failed to capitalise on the one chance they got from Downes’ mistake. Southampton had a couple of half-chances, but Archer couldn’t put his shot the right side of the post, and Pickford managed to keep out a dangerous cross from Armstrong. It’s 0-0 at half-time, and the Opta live win probability suggests a 29.9 per cent chance of a Southampton win, a 38.2 per cent chance of a draw, and a 31.9 per cent chance of an Everton win, meaning that there is all still to play for. Southampton have managed 0.19 xG, and Everton have produced 0.24 xG.
Southampton vs Everton
15:49HALF-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 0-0 EVERTON
Southampton vs Everton
15:47There will be three added minutes!
Southampton vs Everton
15:46CLOSE! Armstrong whips a low cross along the face of the goal, and Pickford manages to get a hand on it to direct it away. Two Southampton bodies were waiting for a tap-in!
Southampton vs Everton
15:45We are nearing the half-time break here, and other than Archer’s chance in the last couple of minutes, there hasn’t been anything to shout about for either of the teams.
Southampton vs Everton
15:43CLOSE! Archer drags his shot wide of the left post! Downes poked a pass through to Archer, who managed to evade Young before getting shot away. The effort was powerful and low, but it bent left past the upright.
Southampton vs Everton
15:41McNeil tried to get a pass through to Calvert-Lewin, but they weren’t on the same wavelength, and the Everton striker ran in completely the opposite direction to his teammate. Something isn’t clicking for both of these teams at the moment.
Southampton vs Everton
15:39Everton earn a corner following a quick break with Mangala. He fed the ball wide to Mykolenko, who attempted a low cross, only to see it get blocked and go behind. The resulting corner results in nothing yet again.
Southampton vs Everton
15:37There was a brief pause to the action as Young wiped his mouth and had a drink. He had cut his lip after a coming together, but he is back on the pitch now.
Southampton vs Everton
15:35Calvert-Lewin breaks into the Southampton box on the left side, but his cross only meets the feet of Stephens, who clears without a challenge. There is a common theme between these two sides of having no support available for their strikers.
Southampton vs Everton
15:33Everton defend a Southampton corner without worry, and the game continues in midfield, where possession is turned over multiple times. Neither team can seemingly find any attacking inspiration.
Southampton vs Everton
15:31St. Mary’s is oddly quiet, other than a few bursts of noise here and there. Southampton fans don’t have a lot to shout or sing about at the moment, so a goal could really lift the atmosphere.
Southampton vs Everton
15:29Calvert-Lewin stretches for a loose ball against Bednarek, who goes down inside his own half. The referee gives nothing, and Bednarek returns to his feet.
Southampton vs Everton
15:27Gueye breaks down the left, following a fast Everton break, but once again there is no one else to support him. He is forced inside, where he tries a pass inwards, but he gives the ball away under pressure.
Southampton vs Everton
15:25Yellow Card James Alan Tarkowski
Southampton vs Everton
15:24Ndiaye tries a left-footed shot from outside the box, following a corner. He struck the ball rather hurriedly and sent the effort high and wide of the goal.
Southampton vs Everton
15:23Forty-five per cent of the play has been in the middle third of the pitch, highlighting how much both sides are struggling to move the ball forward.
Southampton vs Everton
15:20Southampton released Archer up the field, but he looked up and had no support! In the end, it didn’t matter as he was offside, but if the home team want to score goals, they have to support each other in attack.
Southampton vs Everton
15:18Ndiaye tries to sneak a reverse ball through the Southampton defence, but they stand strong. Over the past few minutes, this game has begun swinging from end to end, but still, there have been no real chances.
Southampton vs Everton
15:16Southampton have had 77 percent of possession in the last 10 minutes, indicating again how Russell Martin has set them up to play. It comes with plenty of heart-in-mouth moments, and so far they haven’t used that possession to create anything.
Southampton vs Everton
15:14Lindstrom delivers a nice ball across the face of the goal, looking for Ndiaye at the back post. Unfortunately for them, Ndiaye was close to the cross, but not close enough, and it rolled out for a throw.
Southampton vs Everton
15:13CHANCE! Downes gets the ball caught under his foot on the edge of his box after playing out from the back, and McNeil jumps on the opportunity to steal possession. He passes to Calvert-Lewin, who is unable to get a shot away in the middle of the Southampton box. That could’ve easily been 1-0.
Southampton vs Everton
15:11There has been 10 minutes of play so far, and it has gone exactly as expected. Neither team has taken a risk in attack yet, and both teams are happy to have the ball at their feet with relatively low danger.
Southampton vs Everton
15:10After a small break in play due to an injury, Pickford gets the game back under way with a long punt up the pitch. Stephens rises to nod it down and begins the patterns of play in defence that Southampton have often been criticised for this season.
Southampton vs Everton
15:07Walker-Peters tries sliding a ball through to Armstrong, who is always a willing runner. Mykolenko does brilliantly to stick a leg out and stop the potential danger. Good defending early on from Everton.
Southampton vs Everton
15:05Lindstrom strikes the set-piece past the wall, but straight at Ramsdale, who collects with ease. Ramsdale distributes the ball, giving Southampton a chance to break, but nothing comes of the opportunity.
Southampton vs Everton
15:03Ndiaye goes down a few yards outside of the Southampton box, giving Everton an early chance on goal from the free-kick.
Southampton vs Everton
15:03KICK-OFF! Everton get the ball rolling, and the game is under way.
Southampton vs Everton
14:58The teams are out on the pitch and ready for kick-off here in Southampton!
Southampton vs Everton
14:53Russell Martin makes one change to the side that lost to Manchester City, and that change sees Tyler Dibling drop to the bench, with Adam Armstrong replacing him. Cameron Archer holds his spot up front, leaving Southampton with plenty of attacking changes if needed. Jack Stephens captains the side. For Everton, Sean Dyche has made two changes after the Fulham game, with Lindstrom and Mangala set to start. That means Abdoulaye Doucoure and Jack Harrison miss out, with only the latter making the bench. Beto remains on the bench after his late equaliser, with Calvert-Lewin remaining up top. Ashley Young starts and has three assists in his last five Premier League appearances. He’s one of only three players to assist as many as three goals after turning 39, along with Teddy Sheringham and Ryan Giggs. James Tarkowski captains the away team.
Southampton vs Everton
14:49EVERTON SUBS: Joao Virginia, Asmir Begovic, Nathan Patterson, Seamus Coleman, Jarrad Branthwaite, Jake O’Brien, Harrison Armstrong, Jack Harrison, Beto.
Southampton vs Everton
14:48EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford; Ashley Young, Michael Keane, James Tarkowski, Vitalii Mykolenko; Idrissa Gueye, Orel Mangala; Iliman Ndiaye, Dwight McNeil, Jesper Lindstrom; Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Southampton vs Everton
14:43SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: Alex McCarthy, James Bree, Yukinari Sugawara, Lesley Ugochukwu, Joe Aribo, Samuel Amo-Ameyaw, Tyler Dibling, Ben Brereton Diaz, Paul Onuachu.
Southampton vs Everton
14:43SOUTHAMPTON (5-3-2): Aaron Ramsdale; Jack Stephens, Jan Bednarek, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Ryan Manning, Kyle Walker-Peters; Mateus Fernandes, Flynn Downes, Adam Lallana; Cameron Archer, Adam Armstrong.
Southampton vs Everton
14:38Sean Dyche will have mixed emotions with the way that his side has begun their domestic season. Everton sit 16th in the Premier League but have shown good quality at times where it has mattered. They recently scored in the 94th minute to rescue a point against Fulham and have also beaten fellow strugglers Ipswich and Crystal Palace to keep them afloat at the bottom of the table. Everton will view this as a winnable game and a chance to add to their respectable points tally, but they also need to be wary of becoming too complacent against a hungry Southampton side.
Southampton vs Everton
14:38Russell Martin’s team has started the Premier League campaign in a poor manner; he will be so disappointed with the fact that his side remains one of the three winless clubs so far. They have only picked up one point from a possible 27 and sit rock bottom of the league. They are only a couple of good results away from climbing out of the bottom three, but to be in this position so early on in the season will be a worry for players and fans alike. Southampton will see this game as an opportunity to get their first win of the season, but they will also be wary of how resilient a Sean Dyche side can be.
Southampton vs Everton
14:32The last time that these sides faced each other in the Premier League, Southampton took all three points in a 2-1 away win in 2023. Since then, they have been relegated and promoted in back-to-back seasons and find themselves in the top flight once again. The most recent meeting between these two was in the EFL Cup, back in September. It was a tight encounter, with Southampton sneaking through on penalties to move into the next round. Both teams are currently battling at the bottom of the Premier League table, so we can expect a similarly cagey fixture today.
Southampton vs Everton
14:32Hello, and welcome to live text commentary on this Premier League clash between Southampton and Everton at St. Mary’s Stadium!
Southampton vs Everton
13:00Follow all the goals and latest action from the Premier League here with The Independent. Team news and line-ups coming up shortly…
