Spurs sink sorry Southampton with FIVE first-half goals

Tottenham Hotspur ended a five-match winless streak in ruthless style as they demolished Southampton 5-0 at St Mary’s Stadium on Sunday.

Ange Postecoglou’s side scored five goals in the first half of a Premier League match for the first time in the club’s history, as James Maddison, Son Heung-min, Pape Sarr and Dejan Kulusevski all got among the early goals.

It took Maddison just 37 seconds to give Spurs the lead – Tottenham’s quickest Premier League goal since Christian Eriksen’s strike after 11 seconds against Manchester United in January 2018 – as he ran on to the end of Djed Spence’s through ball before slotting past Alex McCarthy.

Son added a second on 12 minutes following some calamitous Southampton defending, before Kulusevski pounced on a loose ball in the six-yard box two minutes later for the visitors’ third.

With only 25 minutes on the clock, Sarr danced through the lacklustre home backline to stab home a fourth.

All the damage was done in the first half as Southampton managed to keep the visitors at bay in the second period, and even came close to a consolation goal themselves when Mateus Fernandes’ header was ruled out for offside.

Spurs move to within four points of fifth-placed Manchester City with the victory, while Southampton remain rooted to the foot of the table, nine points adrift of safety.

It is a big win for Spurs, not just in terms of the score. They have ended a barren run of five games without a win in the wake of that amazing 4-0 victory at Man City last month.

When Spurs are good, they are good. They made it look so easy in the first 45 minutes, helped by some dreadful Southampton defending, and were far too strong for the home side.

As for the Saints, how do they save their season from here? Before the game, TNT Sports guest Aaron Ramsdale – sidelined with a finger injury – insisted that the team had not lost faith in the manager, but it is hard to see how he picks his squad up after that.

Maddison looked on course to score his first Premier League hat-trick when he struck twice in the first half, but that wait will have to go on for now.

His second-half substitution ended that particular target, but nonetheless, he will be delighted with his performance. He was so influential and, as TNT Sports expert Joe Cole pointed out, when Maddison plays well, Spurs play well.

Southampton: McCarthy 4, Walker-Peters 4, Harwood-Bellis 5, Bednarek 5, Downes 6, Manning 4, Fernandes 6, Aribo 6, Dibling 7, Armstrong 6, Sulemana 5

Subs: Lumley, Bree, Wood, Sugawara, Lallana, Amo-Ameyaw, Archer, Fraser, Onuachu

Tottenham: Forster 7, Spence 8, Gray 7, Dragusin 7, Udogie 6, Sarr 8, Bergvall 7, Maddison 9, Kulusevski 8, Son 9, Solanke 6

Subs: Porro 6, Dorrington 6, Werner 6, Johnson 6, Lankshear N/A

1’ – GOAL! – SOUTHAMPTON 0-1 TOTTENHAM (MADDISON): The dream start for Spurs! Spence drives forward from right-back and threads a pass through to James Maddison who slots beyond Alex McCarthy for his sixth goal of the season. Spence gets a brilliant assist one minute into his debut!

12’ GOAL! – SOUTHAMPTON 0-2 TOTTENHAM (SON): Spurs double their lead and it’s far too easy! A deep cross from the right evades three red and white shirts in the box and falls to Son on the far side, who makes no mistake with a low finish which fizzes past McCarthy.

14’ – GOAL! – SOUTHAMPTON 0-3 TOTTENHAM (KULUSEVSKI): It’s another one! Spurs have a third after more awful Southampton defending! Son crosses from the left to Dominic Solanke in the six-yard box, who is challenged but the ball falls to the unmarked Kulusevski, who slams the ball home from close range.

25’ – GOAL! – SOUTHAMPTON 0-4 TOTTENHAM (SARR): Four for Spurs inside 25 minutes! Destiny Udogie denies Southampton an attack, drives down the pitch and finds Son on the left, who squares the ball for Pape Sarr to wriggle through a weak defence before stabbing home.

45’+4 – GOAL! – SOUTHAMPTON 0-5 TOTTENHAM (MADDISON): Spurs score again and that’s history made! Maddison scores from the tightest of angles, smashing the ball into the roof of the net and that’s the first time in Premier League history Spurs have scored five goals in the first half.

• Son Heung-min has now provided 68 Premier League assists, the joint-most by any Spurs player in the competition’s history, level with Darren Anderton. (Opta)
• Son Heung-min is the 20th player to score in 100+ Premier League matches.