Tottenham ends winless run and sends Southampton down

Tottenham Hotspur finally returned to winning ways on Saturday with a 3-1 home win over bottom-placed Southampton. After four Premier League matches without a victory, Ange Postecoglou’s side delivered a solid performance that not only lifted their spirits but also confirmed Southampton’s relegation — the earliest ever in Premier League history after just 31 rounds.

Johnson leads the way for Spurs

Despite a bright start from Southampton, who came close to scoring through Kamaldeen Sulemana when his deflected effort struck the post, it was Tottenham who opened the scoring. In the 17th minute, Brennan Johnson converted a cutback from Djed Spence with confidence, putting the hosts ahead. Tottenham looked to build on their lead and thought they had done so when Lucas Bergvall found the net, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside. Still, Spurs continued to press and were rewarded just before halftime. James Maddison slid in a clever ball for Johnson, who finished with finesse to make it 2-0 with his second of the afternoon.

Southampton shows signs of life — briefly

Southampton, fighting for survival, showed some fight early in the second half. Sulemana turned provider, delivering a neat pass to Mateus Fernandes, who managed to beat Guglielmo Vicario and bring the score back to 2-1. However, the hope was short-lived. As the match entered stoppage time, Tottenham sealed the win. Mathys Tel, ice-cold from the penalty spot, sent the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 3-1 and put the result beyond doubt.

Historic relegation for Southampton

The defeat officially relegated Southampton, making them the earliest team ever to go down in Premier League history. After a disappointing campaign, the newly promoted side couldn't find the consistency or quality to stay up and now faces the task of rebuilding in the Championship. For Tottenham, the win was a welcome boost. It moves the north London club up to 13th place in the table and relieves some of the pressure that had been mounting on Postecoglou’s shoulders. With Brennan Johnson in form and players like Maddison and Tel making a difference, Spurs will look to carry this momentum into the closing stages of the season.