Southampton are beaten 9-0 by Leicester at St Mary's

Ryan Bertrand became the first Premier League red card decided by VAR as he was given his marching orders after the Foxes took the lead on ten minutes and from there Saints capitulated in embarrassing fashion.

They became only the third team in Premier League history to trail by five goals at half time and shipped another four in the second half in front of half empty stands with most fans having given up and left.

The size of the defeat was the worst in Saints’ history and a record equalling biggest ever margin in the history of the Premier League.

Leicester started on the front foot and never let up.

They were the first team to have a sight of goal in the driving rain and swirling wind as Harvey Barnes cut inside from the left and tried to curl a right footed shot from 20 yards into the far corner but missed the target.

Double disaster struck Saints as they conceded goal on ten minutes and then went down to ten men.

Ryan Bertrand stretched for the ball and planted a one footed and high tackle into the leg of Ayoze Perez.

Leicester picked up the loose ball, worked it across the pitch to Ben Chilwell and his ball into the box from the left was directed goalwards by Barnes.

Angus Gunn got down smartly to his right to make the save but Chilwell reacted quickest to get to the rebound and just manage to beat the keeper at his near post.

As Leicester celebrated the goal VAR checked for a possible red card and deemed that the Bertrand tackle on Perez in the build-up was worthy of a sending off and so Saints were 1-0 down and faced 78 minutes with a player fewer than their opponents.

Hasenhuttl reacted by dropping James Ward-Prowse to left wing back.

But for Saints things went from bad to worse as they shipped another two goals in the space of two minutes.

It was 2-0 after 17 minutes with more generous defending costing Saints.

This time it came down the left with Barnes easily beating Yan Valery, pushing on and crossing with the ball then deflecting off of the retreating French defender to Youri Tielemans. He drilled in a low shot past Gunn who couldn’t react quickly enough even though it was fairly close to him.

Tielemans turned provider two minutes later as Perez picked the ball up and played a one-two with the midfielder before beating Gunn at his near post with a low shot that the keeper got a hand to but couldn’t keep out.

Hasenhuttl made another change in switching to a back four with Valery at left back and Jan Bednarek on the right. Nathan Redmond went up top on his own with Danny Ings virtually a left sided midfielder in a 4-4-1.

The St Mary’s crowd finally had something to get excited about on 31 minutes as Ings brilliantly pulled the ball down and played it to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg who found the run of Valery in the box but his shot was saved by Kasper Schmeichel.

Gunn got a stroke of luck as a Barnes shot almost went through his legs but he was just able to drop on it and prevent it from squirming across the line.

Leicester made it 4-0 on 39 minutes. Again it was depressingly easily as Chilwell lifted in a deep cross from the left. Perez snuck in behind Valery totally unmarked and produced a half volley that flew past Gunn who had no chance.

It was, incredibly, 5-0 at half time as Saints shipped yet another just before the break.

The defending was embarrassing and Jamie Vardy was this time the ultimate beneficiary as he beat Maya Yoshida in the box and slammed home a finish.

Hasenhuttl made two changes at half time with Jack Stephens coming on at right back and Kevin Danso on the left. Jannik Vestergaard and Ings were off with Valery right sided midfield, Ward-Prowse in the centre and Hojbjerg on the left.

Gunn had to make an early save to deny Vardy from bagging another. He then had to do the same from Perez as he drilled in a low shot.

But he was beaten twice in two minutes again as Leicester made the scoreline even more ridiculous.

On 57 minutes Barnes flighted a beautiful chipped pass over the Saints defence. Perez broke the offside trap, brought it down on his chest and volleyed the ball past Gunn.

Two minutes later Barnes found Chilwell on the overlap down the left, he lofted in a cross from the left by-line that found Vardy totally unmarked six yards out and he slammed home the header for 7-0.

Redmond produced a rare bright moment for Saints as he ran down the left, cut inside and hit a shot but Schmeichel made a good save to turn it over.

There were still another two Leicester goals to come as James Maddison whipped a 20 yard free kick over the top of the wall and past Gunn for 8-0.

Vardy broke away in stoppage time and was felled by Bednarek’s lunging challenge from behind. Referee Marriner awarded the penalty and Vardy stepped up to grab a hat-trick, make it 9-0 and equal the record for the biggest Premier League win of all-time.