New Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl could only look on from the stands as Tottenham Hotspur put the Saints to the sword at Wembley on Wednesday with a comfortable 3-1 victory.
Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-Min were on the score-sheet to ensure Spurs bounced back emphatically from their 4-2 drubbing at Arsenal on Sunday.
Hasenhuttl - who was appointed the new Saints boss on a two-and-a-half-year contract earlier on Wednesday - wouldn't have been impressed by his side's defending as Kane wriggled free of his marker to poke in Christian Eriksen's driven cross after only nine minutes.
Ralph Hasenhuttl, the new appointed first team manager of Southampton looks on from the stands during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton FC at Wembley Stadium on December 5, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.
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Kelvin Davies was in official charge of the visitors and they had some decent possession in the first-half. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg went agonisingly close to levelling the scores with a beautiful strike but Hugo Lloris got the slightest of touches to turn it onto the post.
Southampton were the makers of their own undoing, however, as they conceded from another corner minutes after the restart with the unmarked Moura slotting in from point-blank range.
And three minutes later Spurs took full advantage of more slack defending as Kane set up Son who completed the scoring for the ruthless hosts.
Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean striker Son Heung-Min (R) with Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Wembley S
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Lloris made a double save to deny Hojberg and James Ward-Prowse, but Southampton finally grabbed a goal right at the death through substitute Charlie Austin, though it was too little, too late.
The result means Tottenham climb above Chelsea and Arsenal into third, eight points adrift of leaders Man City, while Southampton stay in 18th.
TALKING POINT
What will Hasenhuttl make of the Saints? The Austrian knew he had a job on his hands before signing the contract, but on Wednesday night he was afforded a closer look at the mess Southampton find themselves in.
The Saints played some good football, and asked some questions of Spurs, but their final ball in attack let them down too often, while their defence is simply hopeless - as demonstrated by the three individual mistakes that resulted in three sloppy goals.
There were question marks over his side's defending at former club RB Leipzig, but the 51-year-old will have to quickly adapt to the Premier League if Southampton are to have any chance of surviving.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Harry Kane (Tottenham): The talisman has now netted 13 goals this season, with nine coming in the Premier League. This was another fine performance from the 25-year-old, breaking the deadlock with a poacher's movement and finish, and registering an assist.
Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton FC at Wembley Stadium on December 5, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.
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PLAYER RATINGS
Tottenham: Lloris 8, Trippier 7, Alderweireld 7, Foyth 7, Rose 7, Winks 6, Dier 6, Moura 7, Eriksen 8, Son 8, Kane 9. Subs: Alli 5, Skipp 5, Sissoko 5.
Southampton: McCarthy 6, Yoshida 5, Stephens 6, Cedric 6, Davis 5, Ward-Prowse 7, Targett 5, Hojbjerg 7, Armstrong 5, Gabbiadini 5, Redmond 6. Subs: Austin 7, Romeu 5, Elyounoussi. 5
KEY MOMENTS
9' - GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Southampton: KANE! Spurs take a short corner, the talisman wriggles himself free and makes a run to the near post to poke in Eriksen's driven cross from point-blank range. A poacher's finish. Hasenhuttl - you have a job on your hands. Woeful defending. Southampton switched off and you can't allow Kane space like that.
25' - SO CLOSE! Oh my, what an effort this is from Hojbjerg ! He wraps his body around the ball and strikes a delicious first-time curler at goal from 20 yards. Lloris gets the slightest of touches to turn it onto the post! The rebound falls to Armstrong who inexplicably strikes it wide with the goal gaping. But he was offside anyway.
51' - GOAL! Tottenham 2-0 MOURA! It's another cheap goal for the Saints to concede. A corner finds Moura whose first effort is blocked. But it falls kindly for the former PSG man and he makes no mistake with the second effort, volleying the ball in from close range.
Tottenham Hotspur's Brazilian midfielder Lucas Moura celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Wembley Stadium in London, on December 5, 2018
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55' - GOAL! Tottenham 3-0 Southampton: What is Targett doing? All he has to do is clear the ball out for a throw-in. But he's closed down quickly by Kane who charges down the flank and picks out Son in the middle, leaving the South Korean with a simple tap-in.
76' - DOUBLE SAVE! And still it won't go in for Saints! Hojbjerg fires one from 20 yards and Lloris can't hold it. The rebound falls to Ward-Prowse who has all of the net to aim for but Lloris makes a brilliant block.
90'+3 - GOAL! Tottenham 3-1 Southampton: Austin nets a consolation for Saints! The substitute gets in behind Foyth to latch onto a long ball, takes a nice touch and finishes with aplomb. The visitors deserved at least one goal this evening, but it's too little, too late.
KEY STATS
- Harry Kane has now scored five of Tottenham’s last seven Premier League goals against Southampton, including each of the last three.
- Spurs have win nine of their last 11 home league games against Southampton, losing in September 2003 and May 2016.
- Southampton are now winless in 13 games in all competitions since beating Crystal Palace 2-0 in September (D7 L6), equalling their longest run since May-October 1998.
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