Two late goals have helped Southampton to a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace and put the Eagles back in relegation trouble.
Sam Allardyce's side took the lead early in the second half, but Nathan Redmond restored parity right on half time.
The stalemate remained until six minutes from the final whistle when Maya Yoshida put the Saints in front for the first time, before James Ward-Prowse put the result beyond doubt one minute later.
Find out how all of the action unfolded with our minute-by-minute text commentary below.
Hello and welcome to our live text coverage of the Premier League showdown between Southampton and Crystal Palace. Both teams have the opportunity to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone tonight and we'll be on hand to make sure you don't miss a single kick. First up, team news...
SOUTHAMPTON XI: Forster, Soares, Stephens, Yoshida, McQueen, Davis, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Tadic, Redmond, Long
PALACE XI: Hennessey, Ward, Kelly, Sakho, Schlupp, Cabaye, Milivojevic, Townsend, Puncheon, Zaha, Benteke
Saints boss Claude Puel has named an attacking line-up to face Palace, with Shane Long drafted in up front to partner Nathan Redmond in the absence of the injured Manolo Gabbiadini. James Ward-Prowse and Dusan Tadic will provide additional goal threat from the middle of the park.
Long's inclusion in place of Jay Rodriguez is one of only two changes from the goalless draw with Bournemouth on April 1, with Sam McQueen also replacing Ryan Bertrand. Rodriguez is named among the subs.
It will come as little surprise to hear that Big Sam is keeping the faith in a near-identical XI to the side that defeated Chelsea last time out. Just one change for the Eagles as Martin Kelly replaces the unfit James Tomkins.
A nugget of interesting news regarding Palace's selection - Wilfried Zaha is making his 250th appearance for the club tonight. How time flies!
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Speaking of flying, Zaha is absolutely soaring at the moment. It was his pace and skillful play that caught Chelsea off guard last weekend as he turned in a man-of-the-match performance. Expect him to play a key role for Palace this evening, playing off Christian Benteke.
Palace's surprise win at Chelsea was their fourth in a row, marking the first time they've achieved that feat for two years. Although Zaha has been a key figure during that run, it's typical Allardyce defending that is the bedrock of their resurgence.
Their upturn in fortunes has seen them climb out of the relegation zone into 16th, leaving them only three point behind tonight's opponents. A win this evening would really give them some breathing space in their bid to dodge the drop.
Some very quick arithmetic suggests that Southampton could yet be drawn into a relegation dogfight, but in reality, their fans have little to fear. The Saints are seven points clear of the drop zone and have two matches in hand on many of the teams below them. However, a win this evening moves them within touching distance of mathematical safety.
As two sides who have spent a good deal of time in the same division, there's history between this pair and it doesn't exactly favour the visitors. Palace have NEVER won at Southampton in the Premier League era and the Saints have lost this fixture just once in their last 13 attempts.
So could Big Sam be the one to buck that trend? Given that he has never lost a Premier League fixture at this stadium, there's every reason to believe so.
After some statistical analysis, they're starting to look like the favourites. Southampton are having a hard time finding the net at home, with just 14 goals to their name - only Middlesbrough has a worse record than that.
Tonight their line-fluffing strikeforce is up against a rock solid defensive unit with the in-form Mamadou Sakho at the heart of it. Moreover, the Saints have only taken four points from their last five home fixtures.
We've already touched on Palace's revival under this man, but it's worth pointing out that if they emerge victorious tonight, they will have won five league games in a row for the first time since April 2014.
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Pre-match quotes from both camps incoming...
ALLARDYCE: "You'd hope we could target a point, given the form we're in. We have to be at 100%. Every player was at their top level on Saturday. I told the boys to enjoy the [Chelsea] victory at home. There's no real time to celebrate. There's still a way to go." (via BBC Sport).
PUEL: "It's important to have a good focus and concentration against a strong Palace team. It's also important that we score goals from different areas. It is not just the work of the strikers, but the work for all."
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PREDICTION: The bosses have had their say, so now it's my turn. I think Palace have the chops to claim a 1-0 here. Southampton appear incapable to score at home these days, and they're unlikely to find it any easier against the Eagles' rear guard.
The two teams are out there on the pitch now preparing for kickoff. We're just minutes away from the being underway - stay tuned for minute-by-minute updates!
KICK OFF! Crystal Palace get us underway, kicking from left to right in this first half. The visitors are all in yellow this evening while the Saints are sporting their familiar red and whites stripes.
CHANCE! The match almost starts with a bang as Nathan Redmond and Shane Long combine, with the latter squaring a pass to his teammate in front of goal. Long's effort sails narrowly wide, flashing past Wayne Hennessey's post!
There's more attacking intent from Southampton as Tadic sends a cross towards the near post from out wide. Long is lurking there but Hennessey beats him to it with a confident catch. The hosts are showing plenty of ambition in the final third and look determined to reverse their misfortune in front of goal tonight.
Palace stage their first attack and it comes from a corner. Cabaye whips a cross in and plays it long, looking for Christian Benteke, who's making a nuisance of himself in the six-yard box. The Belgian leaps high, but Cabaye put too much on his delivery and it misses its target.
CHANCE! More Saints pressure as James Ward-Prowse finds the overlap and puts Long through on goal with a well-timed pass. The Irishman looks odds on to find the bottom corner as Hennessey races off his line, but he scuffs his shot and puts it wide.
CHANCE! Having soaked up the early pressure, Palace come close to opening the scoring from a free kick. The set piece is awarded at around 20 yards out and it's Luka Milivojevic who steps up to take it, curling a strike around the wall and against the outside of the post!
That Milivojevic free kick is as close as we've come to an opener, but it's Southampton who have bossed the possession. They have a clear game plan tonight which involves pressing their opponents at every opportunity while keeping Zaha closed down on that right flank.
A Southampton attack goes begging when Sakho wins possession in his own penalty area and Palace quickly stage a break. However, the move abruptly breaks down when Townsend's pass fails to find Benteke and ends up out for a Saints throw.
SAVE! Cedric floats a cross long into the penalty area and Redmond leaps high to meet it, connecting but failing to get any power behind his header, which is turned behind by Hennessey at full stretch. A good reaction stop from the Welshman, but he would have been helpless if Redmond had gotten more on that.
Benteke retains possession well, creating space for himself in the danger zone with a deft turn, but his shot is blocked before the rebound is scrambled clear.
CHANCE! Big chance for Palace as Benteke nods Ward's cross into the path of Zaha in the penalty area. Zaha hestitates before putting his boot through it, allowing Romeu to position himself for the block. A vital interception by the Saints defender.
Zaha should have done better there, but we could also say it was poor decision making from Benteke, who could have nodded the ball to Cabaye in a better position.
GOAL! Southampton 0-1 Crystal Palace (Christian Benteke)
Palace take the lead courtesy of a superb bit of team play. Zaha's pace left three defenders for dead before Puncheon and Townsend got involved in the pacey break. The latter proves a neat ball into the six-yard box and Benteke is on hand to guide it over the line!
The Palace fans in the away end haven't stopped singing Benteke's name since he fired them in front. His positioning was excellent during the breakthrough attack, the big Belgian beating the offside flag and forcing his way into the six-yard box to reach Townsend's cross.
That was Big Ben's 11th league goal of the season, and here's an interesting stat to take note of...
5 - Christian Benteke has scored five goals in his last five Premier League games versus Southampton. Menace. pic.twitter.com/KMG2bTWT7x — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 5, 2017
CHANCE! Palace have the chance to double their lead when Mamadou Sakho nods Andros Townsend's cross into the path of Wilfried Zaha, but the Ivorian's volley flies over the crossbar. Southampton have been reeling since falling behind. Nothing appears to be going their way tonight, but that was a let-off.
GOAL! Southampton 1-1 Crystal Palace (Nathan Redmond)
Southampton draw level and it isn't the prettiest goal you'll ever see, not that the home fans will care! James Ward-Prowse's cross comes in from wide on the right and Nathan Redmond is on hand to poke the ball into the bottom corner - it wasn't a particularly clean strike, bobbing beyond Hennessey in the Palace goal. There were also claims for a foul on Zaha in the build-up, but the goal stands.
HALF TIME: Southampton 1-1 Crystal Palace
Southampton and Palace head into the break level pegging after Nathan Redmond cancelled out Christian Benteke's opener on the stroke of half time. It's been something of a scrappy game, but I get the feeling that there will be more goals to come.
The Saints controlled the early play but frustration crept into their game when things didn't go their way, allowing the Eagles to hit them on the break. However, that goal right on the referee's whistle has changed everything. No doubt Allardyce had to rip up his half-time team talk.
There are a number of other Premier League matches going on right now, and here's how they stand at the break:
Arsenal 0-0 West Ham
Hull City 3-2 Middlesbrough
Swansea 1-0 Spurs
Chelsea 2-1 Man City
Liverpool 1-1 Bournemouth
KICK OFF: We're back underway at St Mary's and Palace have made a change at the break - Sako comes on for Cabaye.
CHANCE! Great chance for Southampton and equally impressive defending by Sakho to maintain the parity! Redmond picks out Ward-Prowse in the penalty area and the midfielder has plenty of time to line up his shot before pulling the trigger. Only a last-ditch block from Sakho keeps it from making the net bulge before Cedric bends the rebound wide!
There's a half-chance for Palace as Townsend's cheeky flick is deflected over for a corner. It was an improvised effort from the Englishman, who almost caught out Fraser Forster.
MISS! Long appears to be off the boil tonight as he's just missed another opportunity to add to his side's goal tally. Tadic beats the offside trap with a lovely through-ball and Long has the pace to get a yard on Sakho, but he fires over with only the keeper to beat!
SUBSTITUTION: Palace make a change at the back with Schlupp replaced by Damien Delaney giving the Eagles more height in defence.
Tadic links up with Davis in the final third and the latter spots a gap in the Palace defence and races to exploit it. He almost finds a way through, but his touch is too heavy, allowing Hennessey to race off his line and collect the loose ball. An alarming lapse from the visitors there!
POST! Palace have certainly looked dangerous from set pieces tonight, a fact that was just doubled underlined as Martin Kelly's strike comes back off the post. Zaha swipes at the rebound but blazes his strike well wide of the target!
GREAT SAVE! Tadic puts Long through again with another inch-perfect through-pass. The Irishman takes a touch and attempts to fire low into the back of the net, but Hennessey produces a top-drawer save to deny Long from close range. Great goalkeeping!
The game has dropped to pedestrian pace these last few minutes but it almost came to life when Zaha smelled hesitation from Forster while the Saints keeper had the ball as his feet. The Palace playmaker put him under pressure, but Forster quickly cleared his lines.
BOOKING! Romeu earns the game's first booking for going straight through Zaha. While play is stopped, Kelly and Redmond are treated on the sidelines after clashing heads in the wake of the yellow card incident.
Neither side are looking like they want maximum points here. Legs are starting to tire and Palace are sitting deep, allowing the Saints to see more of the ball, although they don't look particularly dangerous on it.
There's a spell of pressure from Palace who continue to rely on set pieces to test the Saints, this time coming close when a Bakary Sako corner is headed just wide by Mamadou Sakho. Southampton threaten from a corner of their own moments later, with Yoshida's header testing Hennessey, who has been the busier of the two keepers throughout.
We're into the final 10 minutes now and there could be in winner in this contest yet. It's been scrappy and tight in the closing stages, but one mistake or a moment of magic could be the decider.
CLOSE! Saints are agonisingly close to finding a late goal as Davis wins possession in the opposition's penalty area and lets fly, only to see his effort hacked off the line by Sakho. He then shoots on the follow-up but Delaney is there to take the sting out of it.
GOAL! Southampton 2-1 Crystal Palace (Maya Yoshida)
A rare goal from Japan international Maya Yoshida has fired Southampton in front for the first time tonight. St Mary's erupts as he bundles the ball over the line from close range after Jack Stephens hoofed it into the danger zone! Can Palace come back from this?
GOAL! Southampton 3-1 Crystal Palace (James Ward-Prowse)
Well there's your answer to that one! Ward-Prowse puts the result beyond any doubt for the hosts, exchanging passes with Soares before placing a composed strike into the bottom corner from close range. Palace are dead and buried now!
SUBSTITUTION: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg replaces Steven Davis for Southampton, with the midfielder looking like he has picked up an injury. Just minutes remain at St Mary's.
Just two minutes of stoppage time for the Eagles to find as many goals. Don't place your bets on them all at once!
FULL TIME: Southampton 3-1 Crystal Palace
A late collapse at St Mary's has brought Crystal Palace's winning run to an abrupt halt and landed them back into relegation trouble. Having led through an early Christian Benteke strike, two goals in the final six minutes have clipped the Eagles' wings.
And that concludes our coverage of tonight's match in Southampton, but stick with Sports Mole for full-time results and post-match reaction from all of this evening's biggest games. Thanks for reading.
Written by
Mark Langshaw
Mark Langshaw
