PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDAY 15TH DECEMBER, 2024
7pm
SOUTHAMPTON 0(0) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 5(5)

Spurs scorers:-
Maddison, 1, 45+4
Son, 12
Kulusevski, 14
Sarr, 25

Attendance:- TBC

Referee:- Darren England
Assistants:- Neil Davies, Akil Howson
Fourth official:- Sam Barrott
VAR:- Paul Tierney
Assistant VAR:- Richard West

Teams:-
Southampton (4-3-1-2):- 1. McCarthy; 2. Walker-Peters, 6. Harwood-Bellis, 35. Bednarek, 3. Manning (sub 16. Sugawara, 62); 7. Aribo, 4. Downes, 18. Fernandes; 33. Dibling; 9. Armstrong (Capt.) (sub 19. Archer, 82) 20, Sulemana (sub 15. Wood, 15)

Subs not used:- 13. Lumley (GK); 14. Bree; 27. Amo-Ameyaw, 10. Lallana, 24. Fraser; 32. Onachu

Booked:- Fernandes (pushed Bergvall into goalpost before corner)

Spurs (4-2-3-1):- 20. Forster; 24. Spence (sub 48. Dorrington, 77), 14. Gray, 6. Dragusin, 13. Udogie (sub 23. Pedro Porro, 28); 15. Bergvall, 29. Sarr; 21. Kulusevski, 10. Maddison (sub 16. Werner, 77), 7. Son (Capt.) (sub 22. Johnson, 46); 19. Solanke (sub 42. Lankshear, 82)
(Armband to Maddison, then Forster)

Subs not used:- 40. Austin; 74. King, 79. Hardy; 64. Olusesi Booked:- Bergvall (foul on Wood), Maddison (foul on Downes), Johnson (preventing free kick)

Rampant Spurs slay Saints

Thanks to Cassim Patel for this picture

This was a pivotal game for both sides. After wins for Newcastle yesterday and Manchester United today (at Man City), Spurs began the game in 13th place, needing to win to climb back into the top half. Southampton were stuck at the bottom of the table but needed a win to at least put them in touch with Wolves.

The result was almost certain within 15 minutes. I say almost, because it is Spurs, after all. Spurs were three up in that time and continued their rampage to take a five-goal lead into half-time. Russell Martin's side will be heading straight back to the Championship on this form, but they at least drew the second half in which Spurs understandably took their feet off the pedal.

Spurs were missing 9 players including their suspended midfielders Bissouma and Bentancur. Lucas Bergvall made his first Premier League start. Djed Spence, signed by Spurs in July 2022, made his first start in any competition for Spurs, giving Pedro Porro a break on the bench. That break lasted less than half an hour when Destiny Udogie was withdrawn after treatment (he should be okay for Thursday). Porro took up his right back berth and Djed played on the left, where he has played before.

Archie Gray played on the left of Radu Dragusin tonight.

Southampton included goalkeeper McCarthy and centre-back Bednarek, both returning from injury. Russell Martin made two other changes. The home side displayed a banner pre kick-off claiming their team to be "Pride of the South." The "Saints" do not currently live up to such praise.

It was a mild night. Spurs had their pre-match huddle in front of the travelling fans. Martin tried a diamond formation, but soon changed that and one of his personnel after 15 minutes by which time Spurs were already three up.

Spurs kicked off and played away from their fans. They scored after only 36 seconds. Djed Spence claimed the assist with good play from the half-way line, coming inside before feeding Maddison with a skilful pass off the outside of his foot. James had timed his run well and scored with a right-footed shot beneath McCarthy. It was the perfect start.

Spence hit a mis-cued shot after a corner from the left which was blocked. A Son right-footed shot was held by McCarthy. "Sonny" had his 168th Spurs goal (125 in the Premier League) in the 12th minute when Maddison crossed from deep on the right. Bednarek's headed touch reached Son beyond the back post and the captain scored with a low left-footed shot. It was "Sonny"'s 13th goal against Southampton in all competitions. Two minutes later, he almost had an assist when he crossed low into the 6-yard box. Solanke's effort was defended but the ball ran to Kulusevski who made no mistake, scoring his 19th Premier League goal on his 100th EPL appearance.

Bearing in mind Southampton were offering no resistance; it was safe to call this game over. Some Southampton fans agreed and began to leave. Some of those who stayed offered chants against the board and manager Russell Martin, who had been appointed last year and led the club to their promotion.

Spurs fans' repertoire encouraged "Saints" fans to go home ("You've seen the Tottenham") and also "I don't care about Levy; he don't care about me. All I care about is Kulusevski!"

Too late, Martin abandoned what had looked like a diamond midfield formation as he replaced Sulemana with Wood. Southampton do have a talented 18-year-old wingman Tyler Dibling who was awarded two England U-21 caps last month. Dibling is already being touted in some quarters as a "new Gareth Bale." Dibling's cross after 17 minutes was headed goalward by Adam Armstrong, but straight into the arms of Fraser Forster, playing in front of his former fans. There had been no offside flag.

A Maddison free kick was headed clear by 22-year-old Taylor Harwood-Bellis, soon to be Roy Keane's son-in-law. Harwood-Bellis made his full England debut last month and scored against Keane's home country! After that clearance, Maddison hit a shot over the target.

It was 4-0 in the 25th minute. Udogie raced forward with Son down the left. Son passed inside and Pape Sarr scored just inside the area with a determined side-step or two, before hitting his left-footed shot.

Sarr fouled Manning at the other end, but Spurs headed the free kick clear. Spurs broke out with Maddison in the middle as Son made a good run to the left. Maddison passed and Son's shot was tipped over by McCarthy. Before the corner could be taken left back Ryan Manning shoved Bergvall into the goalpost and was booked.

Manning turned provider again at the other end and from his cross, Armstrong fired wide. Son had a shot saved after another Maddison pass and should have had a corner, but referee Darren England said "goal-kick!" Son should have done better than shoot straight at McCarthy after Kulusevski's pass, but in the fourth minute of added time he claimed an assist as he passed with the outside of his foot to Maddison who scored impressively from a very sharp angle just to the left of goal. James hit his right foot shot high into the far corner.

Son now has the record for Spurs with 68 Premier League assists. His two assists today took him beyond Darren Anderton and Christian Eriksen. "Sonny" will be clocking up 10 years with the club next year and he has certainly been a great and joyful servant to us all.

"Sonny" took a rest at half-time and was replaced by Brennan Johnson. Understandably, Spurs didn't overdo it in the second half, and they didn't have a shot on goal until the very late stages.

Dragusin block-tackled Manning in the Spurs area, but there was no foul and no penalty. Armstrong was off target again after another Manning cross, but he was offside anyway. Forster was out to beat Armstrong to a good ball forward by Dibling.

Now a contingent of home fans was singing support of their team. Dibling had a shot from outside the box well blocked. Ex-Spur Kyle Walker-Peters took a pass from Aribo but pulled his shot just wide. Aribo lifted a short cross from the left, but Wood hit a cross/shot back across the goalmouth. Forster saved comfortably when Dibling hit another shot.

19-year-old centre-back Alfie Dorrington (who has been on the Spurs bench several times) was given his club debut, replacing Djed Spence after 77 minutes. Dorrington played in the middle and Archie Gray shifted to left back.

After a Pedro Porro mistake when he turned backwards and lost the ball, and a cross from the left, Dibling's shot flew wide with Forster on the stretch. Fernandes had the ball in the Spurs net but had clearly been one of two players offside when the ball came from the right.

Now it was time for another teenager - Will Lankshear - to take over from Solanke. McCarthy held a Sarr shot, which was Spurs' first effort on goal of the half! Werner had also come on and he crossed after taking Sarr's pass. Johnson was off target but might have been offside. Archie Gray defended well when Fernandes received a short cross from Walker-Peters.

Spurs climbed back above Newcastle, Manchester United and Brentford into tenth place. They face much sterner tests in their next three games, at home to Manchester United in Thursday's League Cup quarter-final and Liverpool next Sunday before a Boxing Day trip to Nottingham Forest.

Today was the first time we've scored five goals in the first half of a Premier League game. Had we managed just two more goals, we would have the best goal difference in the division!

Within hours after the game, Russell Martin was sacked.

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