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Paul Onuachu’s first half header seemed set to a much needed third Premier League win of the season for Southampton until Crystal Palace struck a heartbreaking equaliser in stoppage time to force a 1-1 draw.
Onuachu, who has now scored four Premier League goals this season, continues to be the top scorer for a Southampton side battling relegation. His effort gave the Saints a slender lead they clung to for much of the match, but a lapse in the dying moments saw their hopes dashed once again.
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The result leaves Southampton still mired in the bottom ranks of the league standings, and the draw does little to alleviate the pressure mounting on the team’s chances of survival.
Editorial
Paul Onuachu’s performance against Crystal Palace is emblematic of a lone warrior fighting against the odds. The towering Nigerian striker once again stepped up for Southampton, delivering a clinical goal that nearly secured a morale-boosting win. And yet, football’s unforgiving nature reared its head with a single lapse undoing 90 minutes of effort.
For Onuachu, the individual numbers are respectable. Four Premier League goals in a struggling side reflect more than just statistics they highlight his determination and quality. But football is a team sport, and until Southampton find collective consistency, efforts like his will continue to fall just short.
This draw stings not just because of the result, but because of the timing. At a point in the season where every point counts double, letting a lead slip in stoppage time can be a psychological blow as much as a numerical one.
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Southampton must now regroup, but the message is clear: with Onuachu firing, there’s still hope but they need everyone else to rise with him.
Did You Know?
[Paul Onuachu](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/local-clubs-and-academies/unlock-football-dreams-top-5-free-academies-in-nigeria/) was the top scorer in the Belgian Pro League in the 2020–21 season with 33 goals for Genk.
Southampton have only managed two Premier League wins all season, placing them in the relegation zone.
Onuachu is one of only a few Nigerian players to score in both the Belgian and English top flights.
Southampton’s last top-half Premier League finish came in the 2016–17 season under Claude Puel.
Crystal Palace’s stoppage-time goal marked the fifth time Southampton have conceded in added time this season.