Southampton v Bournemouth: Premier League – live!

68 min Replays suggest that Rico slapped Cedric, but the VAR official decided it wasn’t a red-card offence. Whatever, I’m beyond caring, it’s a complete shambles.

67 min Rico and Cedric have a lively exchange of views after a challenge near the touchline. Nothing to see here.

65 min Stacey is booked for a foul on Bertrand. Southampton’s pressure has been relentless since half-time.

64 min “It’s a shame Southampton sold Matt Targett,” says Matt Dony. “He could have given Angus Gunn something to aim at. I’m here all week.”

63 min Bournemouth make their first change. Ryan Fraser, who apparently wasn’t fit enough to start, replaces the goalscorer Harry Wilson.

61 min This is pulsating stuff! Southampton almost equalise through Ward-Prowse, who steers a shot just over the bar from 20 yards after a lovely dragback on the run from Adams.

60 min: No penalty! Bournemouth will be fuming about that if they don’t win. For what it’s worth – nothing – I think it was a foul on King, but I’m not sure it was a clear and obvious error from the referee. It’s a bit of a mess.

59 min There’s a VAR check on the penalty appeal. This might be given.

59 min King bursts into the area and goes over after a clumsy challenge from Cedric. Chris Kavanagh says no penalty. I’d like to see that again.

57 min Redmond stands up a cross beyond the far post towards Bertrand. He heads it down into the six-yard box, where Ramsdale rushes from his line to grab the ball. This is superb entertaininment.

56 min Redmond shifts the ball away from Billings, 20 yards from goal, and thrashes a rising drive just over the bar with his left foot. It’s all Southampton at the moment.

55 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Is that Ryan ‘Plastic’ Bertrand?”

It is now!

54 min Adams had probably overrun the ball when Cook fouled him, but I’m not sure that matters. Meanwhile, Harry Wilson is booked for a foul on Boufal.

Ward-Prowse scores emphatically, rifling a penalty high to his right. Ramsdale went the wrong way.

VAR check: penalty given! Yes, I think that’s the right decision. Adams was just inside the area when he stabbed the ball away from Cook, who sent him flying.

52 min It looked a bit soft but Chris Kavanagh has given it.

49 min A fine move from Southampton. Boufal swings a pass across the field to Cedric, now playing on the right. He steers a cross at ankle height towards Ward-Prowse, whose first-time volley on the run goes just over the bar.

46 min Peep peep! Southampton begin the second half. They’ve made a half-time change, with Ryan Bertrand replacing Kevin Danso.

“The Saints have looked decent in attack,” says Mary Waltz, “but as soon as they lose the ball the Cherries cut through their midfield and back line without any resistance.”

Yes, they’ve been repeatedly exposed on the counter-attack. Bournemouth have been excellent, though; really precise in their passing and movement. Philip Billing and Harry Wilson are terrific signings.

Peep peep! Bournemouth are 45 minutes away from a first ever victory away to Southampton. They’ve been cool and clinical amid the maelstrom and would be even further ahead but for that pesky VAR rightly disallowing Josh King’s goal. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.

43 min Billing is down, holding his face, after a collision at a Southampton corner. He took Redmond’s shoulder in the face, though it wasn’t deliberate. Unlike this.

42 min Redmond, who has been Southampton’s liveliest attacker, hits a fierce, wobbling shot from 25 yards that is punched behind for a corner by Ramsdale. It was a comfortable enough save.

39 min Eddie Howe is such a brilliant manager. I hope he’s the next England manager, whenever Gareth Southgate hangs up his waistcoat.

38 min Bournemouth break agian, with King’s shot deflecting behind for a corner. Their purpose and precision on the counter-attack have been superb.

37 min: Ramsdale makes a vital save from Hojbjerg! Redmond’s cutback ricocheted around the box before falling to Hojbjerg in the six-yard box. He hit the ball first time, but Ramsdale made himself big to smother the shot.

That was a lovely team goal. Rico fizzed a pass out to Callum Wilson on the left. He played in the underlapping Billing and charged into the area for the return. Billing pulled the ball back towards Wilson, Callum I think, but Harry Wilson got in front of him and Vestegaard to clip a precise first-time shot into the far corner. Excellent finish.

Bournemouth go 2-0 up for the second time!

33 min This is a very open game. Southampton are having most of the ball, but Bournemouth look dangerous on the counter-attack. Rico’s corner from the right is punched behind by Gunn for another corner, this time on the left…

29 min Redmond plays a crisp pass across the line of the penalty area to Hojbjerg, whose shot is blocked by Stacey. He could, probably should have played a reverse pass to the overlapping Cedric, who would have been through on the left of the area.

26 min That’s when VAR works perfectly, because it’s an objective judgement.

Yes, it’s been disallowed. It was a beautiful finish from King, swept into the far corner from Solanke’s pass. But replays showed he was just offside.

Bournemouth go two up with a superb goal!

22 min “Evening Rob!” says Hubert O’Hearn. “You know what football lacks? Great nicknames. How on earth has Kevin Danso not been re-named as Tiny, or Ryan ‘House of’ Fraser? The one I really want is Harry ‘Prime Minister’ Wilson. (Yeah, it’s been a long week.)

Don’t forget the old favourites – ‘One Size’ Fitz Hall and Kiki ‘Chris’ Musampa.

21 min Southampton are playing at a furious pace, even by their standards.

20 min Lerma is booked for taking Hojbjerg out off the ball.

19 min Boufal surges down the inside-left channel, away from Billing, only to mishit a tame shot through to Ramsdale. He looks lively, though, as he did in Southampton’s last home fixture against Manchester United.

16 min King leads a Bournemouth break, haring down the left before crossing low towards Callum Wilson. Vestegaard makes an important interception.

15 min Replays show there was a slight push on Danso, who was challenging the goalscorer Ake, by Callum Wilson. It might have been a foul, but I don’t think it crossed the VAR threshold.

14 min “On that goal,” says Mary Waltz, “Southampton looked like they were watching a movie rather than playing a match.”

13 min Southampton look thoroughly affronted at going behind. Boufal plays a one-two with Adams and hits a sudden shot from 25 yards that is blocked by Cook.

Bournemouth take the lead! It was a simple goal: Rico’s inswinging corner from the right, and an emphatic downward header from Ake on the six-yard line.

9 min Southampton, as is their wont, are giving Bournemouth no time whatsoever on the ball. But Stacey combines neatly with Harry Wilson to win the first corner.

6 min Cedric’s speculative cutback is screwed wide of the far post by Ward-Prowse, arriving late in the box. It was a tricky chance as it bounced just in front of him, and he couldn’t steer it on target.

5 min It’s been a frantic start, as you’d expect. Nothing to report as yet.

2 min Southampton’s full-backs have swapped, with Danso on the right and Cedric on the left. I suppose that’s because of Bournemouth’s inverted wide players.

1 min Peep peep! Bournemouth get the match under way. They are in their dark blue away strip; Southampton are wearing red and white.

The players emerge from the tunnel to flashing lights and dramatic music. There’s a cracking atmosphere.

The winner tonight, if there is one, will move to third in the table for the next 17 hours or so.

Southampton (4-2-2-2) Gunn; Danso, Bednarek, Vestegaard, Cedric; Romeu, Hojbjerg; Ward-Prowse, Boufal; Adams, Redmond.
Substitutes: McCarthy, Yoshida, Stephens, Bertrand, Armstrong, Long, Ings.

Bournemouth (4-2-2-2) Ramsdale; Stacey, S Cook, Ake, Rico; Billing, Lerma; H Wilson, King; C Wilson, Solanke.
Substitutes: Boruc, Simpson, Mepham, Surman, Ibe, L Cook, Fraser.

Referee Chris Kavanagh.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Southampton v Bournemouth from St Mary’s. The New Forest derby, as this is apparently known, is a bit of a newfangled rivalry. The two teams met only twice between 1960 and 2010, when they lived in different worlds, and overall this is only their 30th match.

Bournemouth, in fact, have never won away to Southampton – not at St Mary’s, not at the Dell, not even when they were called Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic.

The last eight meetings between these sides have occurred in the Premier League, though; and with Portsmouth still recovering from their big crash a decade ago, these two are fighting for supremacy on the south coast.

Bournemouth won that unofficial title in the last two seasons by finishing above Southampton. They are above Southampton now, too, albeit only on goals scores. Both teams have started the season pretty well and sit in the top half of the table.

These are two really likeable sides, with ambitious managers who play progressive football and want to achieve something more meaningful than simply preserving the status quo. The brilliant Eddie Howe has made all kinds of history at Bournemouth; tonight, there’s a chance to make some more.

Kick off is at 8pm BST.