Southampton relegated after Spurs defeat sets unwanted Premier League record

Southampton’s Premier League campaign came to a historic low on Saturday as they became the earliest team ever to be relegated from the top flight, following a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

Brennan Johnson starred for Spurs, netting twice in the first half to put Ange Postecoglou’s side in control. The Welsh international opened the scoring in the 13th minute, slotting home Djed Spence’s cut-back, before adding a second just before half-time with a delicate finish from James Maddison’s clever flick over the defence.

Though Mateus Fernandes offered a brief glimmer of hope for Southampton with a late strike in the 90th minute, substitute Mathys Tel converted a penalty in stoppage time, his first Premier League goal to restore the two-goal cushion and confirm Southampton’s relegation with a record seven games still to play.

The mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was subdued, with fans staging a pre-match protest against chairman Daniel Levy and expressing growing frustration with Postecoglou, whose side had won just once in their previous 10 home league games. But the hosts responded with a confident start, spearheaded by the lively duo of Johnson and Lucas Bergvall.

Cristian Romero came close to opening the scoring early on, forcing a sharp save from Aaron Ramsdale with a powerful header. Southampton nearly stunned the home crowd when Kamaldeen Sulemana found space at the far post, but Pedro Porro managed to deflect the shot onto the woodwork.

Spurs capitalized quickly, with Johnson netting his 10th league goal of the season to settle the nerves. Romero continued to threaten from set-pieces, again being denied by Ramsdale, while Bergvall thought he had doubled the lead, only for VAR to rule out his effort due to an offside infringement in the build-up.

Despite Postecoglou’s visible frustration on the sidelines, Johnson’s well-timed second goal just before the break brought relief and smiles to the Tottenham bench.

Southampton showed more urgency in the second half and enjoyed long spells of possession. Fernandes reduced the deficit late on, chesting down a cross from Sulemana and firing between the legs of Guglielmo Vicario. But any hopes of a comeback were dashed when Welington fouled Johnson in the box, allowing Tel to convert from the spot and seal the result.

Ramsdale produced five key saves throughout the match, including efforts from Spence and Dominic Solanke, but it wasn’t enough to stop Spurs from claiming their 11th win of the campaign.

Southampton, now marooned at the bottom with just 10 points, face the ignominy of surpassing Derby County’s infamous record of 11 points in the 2007-08 season unless they can pick up at least two more in their remaining fixtures.

Tottenham’s victory lifts them to 13th in the table with 37 points, providing some relief amid ongoing fan unrest and helping steady a turbulent season.