Tottenham Hotspur ran riot in the first half to dismantle Southampton 5-0 at St. Mary’s, with James Maddison stealing the show.
In a season full of ups and downs, Spurs fans were treated to a vintage attacking display that left Southampton shell-shocked. By the time the half-time whistle blew, the game was long over.
Barely had the Saints fans settled in their seats when Spurs made their mark. Finally starting Djed Spence in the Premier League—yes, 884 days after he joined—turned out to be a masterstroke. Thirty-seven seconds was all it took for him to carve open Southampton’s defence and lay it on a plate for James Maddison, who slotted past Alex McCarthy like he was playing a friendly. 1-0 to Spurs.
Southampton didn’t even have time to regroup before Spurs hit again. Maddison was involved (of course), delivering an almost pinpoint cross to Heung-Min Son, who smashed home Spurs’ second. The Saints were drowning, and the floodgates truly opened when Kulusevski made it 3-0 just two minutes later, capitalising on some sloppy defending from Bednarek.
By this point, it felt like every Spurs attack would end in a goal. And it wasn’t just a feeling—Pape Sarr decided to join the party with a silky finish after a slick counter led by Udogie and Son. Southampton’s fans were already streaming out by the time Maddison struck again in first-half stoppage time. This time, it was pure artistry: a delightful outside-of-the-boot assist from Son and a ruthless finish from Maddison. 5-0. Game over.
Unsurprisingly, Spurs eased off after the break (thankfully), and Ange Postecoglou took the chance to rest key players. Son, who had racked up a goal and two assists, made way at half-time, probably with an eye on Thursday’s Carabao Cup clash with Manchester United.
Southampton showed a bit more fight in the second half—not that it mattered. Alfie Dorrington made his debut, shifting Archie Gray into a makeshift left-back role, and Spence continued to shine, locking down his flank and even limping off to applause after a fantastic shift.
Lucas Bergvall also impressed, showing flashes of creativity that promise a bright future. The Saints, for their part, had a few decent chances but never looked like mounting a comeback.
The game ended with the home side having an xG of 0.68 and Spurs with 2.62. It’s such a relief to win comfortably and not invite any errors. A huge shoutout to Dragusin of course.
Spurs finally snapped their winless streak and moved into the top half of the table. But with a packed schedule and a mounting injury crisis, this victory might feel like the calm before the storm. Manchester United, fresh off a late derby win, are waiting in the wings, and these performances will need to carry over if Tottenham want to keep climbing the table.
For now, though, let’s just enjoy this. A clean sheet, five goals, and a performance that had “vintage Spurs” written all over it. What a night.
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