Spurs bounce back with comfortable victory

Tottenham recorded a 5-0 victory at Southampton on Sunday night.

Spurs scored all five of their goals in the first half, taking the lead in the first minute thanks to James Maddison.

Captain Heung-Min Son scored 10 minutes later, before Dejan Kulusevski added the third just two minutes later.

There was even more misery for Southampton when Pape Matar Sarr scored a brilliant goal to make it 4-0, and then Maddison got his double on the stroke of half-time.

Read on to see how the match played out on the South Coast.

A five star exhibition ⭐ pic.twitter.com/ZaE7CS5ynE

– Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 15, 2024

how it happened

The visitors made their intentions clear from the beginning and took the lead in 45 seconds.

Spence’s run and perfectly timed ball found Maddison who calmly beat Alex McCarthy to open the scoring.

It was Tottenham’s fastest goal in the Premier League since 2018 and set the tone for the carnage that followed.

Southampton barely had time to regroup before Spurs scored again in the 12th minute.

A precise cross from Maddison found Son at the far post, and the Tottenham captain scored to double the lead.

Moments later, Son turned provider and sent a low cross into the box.

Although Solanke was denied by Jan Bednarek’s slide, Kulusevski was on hand to grab the rebound and make it 3-0.

James Maddison, that’s just ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/n6KJmBsKE6

– Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 15, 2024

Southampton’s defense was in tatters and Spurs capitalized further in the 25th minute.

Sarr took advantage of Son’s pass, passed to Wood and scored Tottenham’s fourth goal. Southampton fans could only watch in despair as the relentless visitors continued to dominate.

The first half ended appropriately with Maddison scoring his second goal of the game in stoppage time.

A delightful short pass from Son found Maddison in the box, and the playmaker cut cleverly inside before firing into the far corner to complete the first-half rout.

To their credit, the Saints tried to salvage some pride in the second half, creating several chances through Adam Armstrong and the lively Dom Ballard.

However, Fraser Forster, upon returning to his former club, lived up to his efforts and made crucial saves to keep a clean sheet.

Southampton struggled to break down a resolute Spurs defense while the visitors came close to adding a sixth, with substitute Brennan Johnson narrowly missing the target from Timo Werner’s cross late on.

The victory marks Tottenham’s biggest away win under Postecoglou and his first five-goal first half in the Premier League.

For Southampton, it was a humiliating night that highlighted the gap between them and the league’s best teams.