Southampton recorded their biggest ever south coast derby win at Fratton Park with a 4-0 victory in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
This was also Southampton’s first win in Portsmouth territory for 35 years as Saints ended that particular run in emphatic style.
Portsmouth shaded the early stages with their most notable chance being from a corner that was headed goalwards but first kept out by Alex McCarthy and then cleared off the line by Jan Bednarek.
The deadlock was eventually broken against the run of play after 20 minutes when boyhood Saints fan Danny Ings curled in an effort from the edge of the box into the bottom right corner of the net.
Ings then got his second and Southampton’s second just before half-time following a brilliant ball from Michael Obafemi before Ings coolly dinked the ball over the Portsmouth goalkeeper.
Southampton’s Premier League quality was starting to show against the League One strugglers with the visitor’s clinical edge the decisive factor in the result.
The game was put to bed after 77 minutes with Ings at the heart of it once more. He expertly dribbled past a Pompey defender down the Saints left before the ball spilled to Cedric who fired the ball into the back of the net.
The fourth goal was all down to the substitute Nathan Redmond who picked up the ball from deep, attacked the Portsmouth defence and superbly finished from just outside the box.
On a night to remember, here’s how we rated the Southampton players…
