Back to winning ways in style against Saints

We scored five goals in a Premier League first half for the first time in our history on Sunday night as we romped to victory against Southampton.

After a difficult run of recent results, we made a stunning return to form against the bottom club at St Mary’s, writing more club history in the process with a five-goal salvo in the opening period.

James Maddison got the ball rolling with the opening goal in the first minute before quick-fire strikes from Heung-Min Son and Dejan Kulusevski – on his 100th Premier League appearance – made it 3-0 after 14 minutes. The Saints had no answer to our attacking prowess and, after Pape Matar Sarr added a fine fourth, Maddison scored his second on the stroke of half-time to leave us well and truly in control at 5-0.

The game saw first Premier League starts for Lucas Bergvall and Djed Spence, who was also making his first club start, while young Academy product Alfie Dorrington stepped off the bench for his first-ever senior appearance late in the game and Fraser Forster was back at his former club.

We made the perfect start, just 37 seconds on the clock as we played out from the back to Spence, who turned on the halfway line and drove forwards before slipping a delightful pass in for Maddison to slide the ball under Alex McCarthy. It was our fastest goal since Christian Eriksen scored after 11 seconds against Manchester United in January, 2018.

After scoring the first, Maddison then played a huge role in our next two goals as we surged into a 3-0 lead. The midfielder assisted our second on 12 minutes, his deep cross flicking off the head of Jan Bednarek and reaching Son at the far post who drilled low under McCarthy, and we added our third two minutes later, Maddison finding Son down the left, his low cross was almost turned in by Dominic Solanke but the ball landed nicely for Kulusevski to tuck home.

We didn’t have to wait too long for number four either. It started with Destiny Udogie winning the ball off former Spur Kyle Walker-Peters 30 yards from our goal, he surged forwards and laid off to Son, whose square pass on the edge of the area was picked up by Sarr and he skipped past a couple of challenges before firing in left-footed with 25 minutes gone.

Unfortunately we lost Udogie to injury just before the half-hour, replaced by Pedro Porro with Spence switching to the left, however the chances kept coming with McCarthy having to tip over a powerful shot from Son. The Saints keeper then kept out another Son effort with a strong hand at his near post, although strangely the corner wasn’t forthcoming, and saved again from the skipper after an incredible passage of play which saw us manoeuvre the ball from near our own corner flag all the way into the Southampton box.

Having scored seconds into the first half, we repeated the feat seconds before half-time, Maddison again on target. Son played a lovely ball down the inside left channel, Maddison shaped to shoot almost on the byline in the six-yard box but cut back onto his right foot and, from an impossible angle, slammed a shot into the far corner to complete the most remarkable half of football.

As might be expected, there wasn’t quite the intensity to the game in the second period and it was our hosts with the first chance, Adam Armstrong in behind our defence but firing wide of the goal, although the flag had gone up for offside anyway. Walker-Peters than flashed a shot into the side-netting in the 66th minute and Nathan Wood went close with a volley at the back post as the Saints looked to give themselves a lift in the game.

There was a big moment for Academy graduate Dorrington in the 77th minute as he made his senior bow – earning Legacy Number 889 in the process. When Will Lankshear joined the action five minutes later, it meant we had four teenagers on the pitch at the same time, the first Premier League side to do so this season.

The Saints continued to have the chances in the second period, Tyler Dibling firing just wide from 20 yards before Mateus Fernandes had the ball in the net but it was ruled out for offside. Our first shot of the second half came with just a few minutes left, Sarr drilling straight at McCarthy, while it should have been six as substitutes Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson combined only for the latter to miss from close range.

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Maddison 1, 45+4, Son 12, Kulusevski 14, Sarr 25.

Yellow cards: Southampton – Fernandes; Spurs – Bergvall, Maddison, Johnson.

Referee: Darren England.

Venue: St Mary’s Stadium.

Weather: Light cloud, gentle breeze, 10 degrees.