Leicester City vs Southampton may be a dead rubber between two relegated sides today – but six years ago it produced one of the most unforgettable Premier League matches.
Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester side smashed Southampton 9-0 to equal the record of biggest ever Premier League, sending Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl into a furious tirade.
The floodgates opened early as Ben Chilwell struck home a rebounded shot in the tenth minute.
Two minutes later, Ryan Bertrand was sent off for a reckless tackle on Ayoze Perez during the build up for the first goal.
Perez went on to net a hattrick for the second successive match against Southampton, including a beautifully struck first time finish on the bounce.
Jamie Vardy, who recently announced his departure from the club, also scored a treble.
Youri Tielemans was also on target while James Maddison hit in a late free-kick.
Leicester tied a record that is shared by Liverpool (against Bournemouth in 2022) and Manchester United (against Ipswich Town in 1995 and Southampton again in 2021).
“The performance, as everybody has seen, was a disaster today,” said Hasenhuttl, who was Southampton boss at the time.
“I have to apologise and take 100 per cent responsibility for what happened today because I’ve never seen a team act like this.
“There was no fight. I must apologise for the players. It was horrible to watch. Everybody who stayed till the last minute I think is really a fan of this football club because it was not easy to watch.
“I’m a proud man and I know that I haven’t seen such an evening in my whole entire managing career. I thought that couldn’t happen but it happened.
“The way we played today is not the way I want to see my team playing. It’s very difficult for me.”
Prior to their emphatic defeat, Southampton were winless in four league matches.
Poor form continued to linger as it took a month for their side to claim a victory.
Before Christmas, Southampton hovered in and around the relegation spots, but an amazing second half to the season secured their safety.
From Boxing Day onwards, the Saints only lost six of their 20 league matches, which saw them conclude the season in 11th.
Leicester continued their excellent season and finished fifth, which earned them a spot in the Europa League.
But fast-forward to 2024/25 and both teams have endured rotten seasons.
Both Southampton and Leicester were relegated back to the Championship without a whimper, as their fate was sealed with weeks to spare.
Saints are looking to avoid equalling another unwanted Premier League record this year – as they sit on 11 points with four games left.
Should they lose all four games, it will match the lowest ever top-flight points tally, set by Derby in 2007/08.
