Southampton secured the biggest away win in their history as they hammered Newport County 8-0 at Rodney Parade.
Armando Broja opened the scoring for Saints on his debut and added a second against Newport
Saints were dominant and led 3-0 at the break thanks to a debut goal for Armando Broja and further strikes from Nathan Tella and Kyle Walker-Peters.
A double for Mohamed Elyounoussi after the break made it 5-0 before Broja added a sixth soon afterwards.
Nathan Redmond’s precise finish made it 7-0, before Elyounoussi added his third with almost the game’s final kick.
The margin of victory in this EFL Cup tie was the biggest on the road in Southampton’s 135-year history and matched their biggest post-war win.
Newport have exceptional recent pedigree in the cup competitions, with Southampton the ninth side from the top flight the Exiles have faced under manager Michael Flynn – who was absent due to a positive Covid test – but they never got out of first gear on a horrible night for them.
Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl named a strong side for what was Newport’s first home game of the campaign, with their notorious playing surface having been relaid over the summer, and the pristine surface suited Saints.
The visitors took the lead when Nathan Redmond’s long-range effort was tipped onto the crossbar by Nick Townsend, but the ball fell kindly for ex-Chelsea forward Broja to finish from close range.
Saints went 2-0 ahead when Redmond’s smart pass freed Elyounoussi, who sent Tella clean through to slot home.
Redmond missed a chance to make it 3-0 but Walker-Peters did just that before the break when his angled shot beat Newport goalkeeper Townsend at his near post.
Elyounoussi then prodded home from close range just after the break after yet more Saints pressure and he added a second before the hour mark after two years away from the club.
Second goals for Broja – on his debut – and Redmond made it a record night for the visitors as they both produced smart finishes.
Veteran Kevin Ellison just missed the target as Newport sought a late consolation, but Saints had the final say as Elyounoussi scored his third in the dying moments.
Newport County assistant boss Wayne Hatswell said:
“It was a harsh lesson and that was the calibre of team that we were up against. When they get chances they are clinical in what they do.
“Fair play to Ralph, he brought a really strong team and I can’t praise Southampton highly enough for how professional they were.
“They pressed after us high up the pitch and we saw the difference in quality.
“We could have stopped a few of their goals and I am disappointed in that but we have to dust ourselves down. It’s not going to define our season, playing Southampton.”
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl said:
“I think this was a very deserved win. It was a serious performance from the first minute, this is what you need against a lower league club.
“To get so early three goals up allowed us to push and keep the tempo high, then we could score a lot of goals.
“We had a lot of different scorers. This is what we need, more players scoring more goals.
“It’s not easy. You have to take it seriously and have a clear plan. We managed it quite well. A lot of teams have struggled here in the past.”
