Newcastle beats Southampton, virtually sure of EPL survival
NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Ayoze Perez’s hat trick all but guaranteed Premier League safety for Newcastle by securing a 3-1 victory over Southampton on Saturday.
The Spaniard scored twice in four minutes in the first half before a Southampton fightback inspired by changes at halftime.
One of the newcomers, Mario Lemina, pulled one back in the 59th minute before Perez netted his 11th goal of the season in the 86th.
Newcastle is 10 points clear of Cardiff in the relegation zone after a sixth win in the last seven home games in the league.
