SOUTHAMPTON, England (Reuters)

Tottenham Hotspur scored five goals in the opening half of a Premier League game for the first time in their history as they thrashed bottom club Southampton 5-0 away on Sunday.

James Maddison scored twice, his first after 36 seconds and his second on the stroke of halftime, while Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and Pape Matar Sarr were also on target.

As Southampton imploded, many of their fans left well before the interval, although those that stayed at least watched their team recover a modicum of pride in the second half.

Victory was a welcome boost for Spurs who had managed only one point from their last three league games. They moved up to 10th with 23 points from 16 games.

Southampton remain on five points and already look destined for a rapid return to the Championship as they languish nine points from the safety zone.