It’s safe to say that Tottenham’s season has been a turbulent mess, more specifically in the last few months.
Ange Postecoglou has been facing more questions as Spurs boss and it looked as though fans had run out of patience following the 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth earlier in the month.
Since then they blew a lead against Chelsea and could only draw 1-1 with Rangers in the Europa League.
So, a 5-0 win over Southampton that saw them 4-0 up within 25 minutes was just what the doctor ordered. It was about as comprehensive as you’re going to get in a Premier League game and has relieved the pressure significantly on the squad.
Yes, the Saints have been shocking for the most part this term but it’s not as though Spurs haven’t already dropped points against the likes of Crystal Palace and Ipswich already.
So, who starred on the away team at St Mary’s on Sunday?
Tottenham's best performers against Southampton
There were some bold selection calls from Postecoglou heading into this game and there needed to be following the draw against Rangers.
Timo Werner was unsurprisingly on the bench a few days on from the manager’s public outburst, slamming the forward in his post-match press conference at Ibrox.
The biggest surprise, however, saw Pedro Porro have to settle for a place among the substitutes, although he was forced to come on for the injured Destiny Udogie early in the first period.
While the Spurs defence kept a rare clean sheet, it was the forward players and midfielders who captured the eye the most.
The two key men were Heung-min Son and James Maddison. The latter opened the scoring and found the net once more while Son was more of the creator, setting up two goals but also finding the net himself on the south coast.
The other goal scorers were midfielder Dejan Kulusevski who maintained his fine run of form this term and Senegalese star Pape Sarr who made it four with only a quarter of the game done.
The attack will get their flowers but we want to send some praise in the direction of an 18-year-old; Archie Gray.
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.
Archie Gray's performance in numbers vs Southampton
It’s safe to say that when Gray arrived from Leeds United in a £30m deal back in the summer he was not expected to play as a centre-back in a four-man defence.
The teenager had played most of last term at Elland Road as a right-back but he is a central midfielder by trade and has begun his Spurs career by featuring in both roles after moving to north London.
However, Tottenham’s defensive injury crisis has meant the youngster has been forced to play as a centre-half now on three occasions.
Now, doing so against a Southampton side who are so turgid in the final third was never going to be the most arduous of nights for young Gray but he performed admirably all the same, earning an 8/10 match rating from Football.London’s Alasdair Gold who was keen to note his ‘important late goal-saving tackle’.
Minutes played
90
Touches
101
Accurate passes
90/93 (97%)
Accurate long balls
2/4
Possession lost
4x
Duels won
2/2
Blocked shots
2
Interceptions
1
Tackles
1
It was certainly a competent display from the English talent who was so composed and so confident on the ball, showcasing those midfield qualities that have earned him rave reviews over the last few years.
In total, Gray had 101 touches of the ball, the most of any player on the field. Meanwhile, his 90 accurate passes were the highest number on the pitch as well, 12 more than the next best in Radu Dragusin.
Perhaps more impressive was his ability to win duels, coming away from the contest with a win rate of 100% from two battles.
Based on this performance and the composed nature of previous displays in a Spurs shirt, he is set to make a real name for himself as a Lilywhite in the forthcoming years.
Judging by his ability to play in a multitude of positions, the club may well have unearthed their next Eric Dier too.
Like Gray, the England international arrived at White Hart Lane as somebody who could play in midfield and full-back but swiftly transitioned into an out and out central defender.
Although some may bemoan some error-stricken performances at Tottenham, Dier was ultimately a fine servant, featuring on 365 occasions and never receiving a red card.
In Gray, they have a player of equally fine versatility and perhaps even someone with a higher ceiling than they ever had in the current Bayern Munich star.
Last night was very much all about the attack but let’s not forget those behind them.
Shortlisted: Tottenham looking at "sensational" Postecoglou replacement
The promising managerial talent could be the answer to Spurs’ problems.
2 ByJack Salveson Holmes