Soccer Football - Premier League - Southampton v Tottenham Hotspur - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - December 15, 2024 Tottenham Hotspur's James Maddison celebrates scoring their fifth goal with Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min and Tottenham Hotspur's Radu Dragusin REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
SOUTHAMPTON, England (Reuters) -Tottenham Hotspur scored five goals in the opening half of a Premier League game for the first time in their history as they thrashed bottom club Southampton 5-0 away on Sunday.
James Maddison scored twice, his first after 36 seconds and his second on the stroke of halftime, while Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and Pape Matar Sarr were also on target.
As Southampton imploded, many of their fans left well before the interval, although those that stayed at least watched their team recover a modicum of pride in the second half.
Victory was a welcome boost for Spurs who had managed only one point from their last three league games. They moved up to 10th with 23 points from 16 games.
Southampton's 13th league loss of the season left them on five points and they look destined for a rapid return to the Championship as they languish nine points from the safety zone.
Some supporters voiced their disapproval at manager Russell Martin with one fan's banner calling for him to be sacked.
"I'm hurt at the first half. We just don't respond very well to setbacks as a group," Martin said. "I didn't recognise our team in the first half. It's a tough night.
"We have no choice but to work and fight, it's all I've done since I've been in this job."
CONFIDENT SPURS
Injury-hit Tottenham have looked fragile in recent weeks, winning only once in eight games in all competitions, and Southampton may have sensed an opportunity.
But from the moment Djed Spence's sublime pass sent Maddison clear to fire the opener past Alex McCarthy the confidence flooded back, although they were helped by a shocking first-half display by Saints.
Son thumped in the second after 12 minutes as Southampton failed to cut out a cross and a couple of minutes later the South Korean's pass into the area fell to the feet of Kulusevski to score from close range.
Sarr showed great footwork after controlling Son's pass to slot home Tottenham's fourth goal by which time the St Mary's stands were rapidly emptying.
Maddison netted his second in first-half stoppage time, latching onto Son's pass and scoring from a tight angle into the opposite top corner.
Spurs took their foot off the gas after the break and ended the game with four teenagers on the pitch as manager Ange Postecoglou rung the changes ahead of a League Cup quarter-final at home to Manchester United on Thursday.
"It was outstanding by the players. We had a tough European game away on Thursday night," Postecoglou said, referring to the 1-1 draw away to Rangers in the Europa League.
"We had 10 first-team players unavailable tonight and for the lads to come out with that much energy was great."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)
