Oriol Romeu opened the scoring in the very first minute, Charlie Austin scored twice and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg was also on target as Saints led 4-0 at half-time.



Austin completed his hat-trick with a second-half header, while Fulham replied late on through Ibrahima Cissé.



Nine of the Saints starting line-up completed the full 80 minutes, which proved a useful workout in the absence of Mauricio Pellegrino’s international players.



It took just 33 seconds for Saints to stamp their authority on the game, as Romeu pounced on a loose touch to win the ball high up the pitch and leave Fulham exposed.



Højbjerg then kept his head to return the ball to Romeu with a square pass for the Spaniard to convert with a ruthless finish high into the net from 15 yards.



Already firmly in control, Saints kept possession with ease and immediately threatened more goals.



The second arrived 20 minutes later, courtesy of a typical poacher’s effort from Austin.



Again Romeu was involved, finding Jérémy Pied in the box with a raking diagonal pass that the Frenchman did well to nod across goal into Austin’s path.



The striker got there first to round goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli and tuck the ball into the empty net in one swift movement.



Two became three when James Ward-Prowse’s swirling corner was taken off the head of Jack Stephens by a raised Fulham hand, prompting Austin to add his second from the penalty spot, sending Bettinelli the wrong way.

Saints did not have it all their own way, as Stuart Taylor was forced to make sharp saves from Aboubakar Kamara and Rafa Soares, but it was otherwise one-way traffic.



Højbjerg made it four just before half-time, keeping his composure as he stumbled under pressure from Jordan Graham to dispatch a fine cross on the run from Matt Targett.



Austin completed his hat-trick 12 minutes into the second period, as Højbjerg fed Ward-Prowse on the right, who delivered a superb whipped cross to the near post for the striker to score with a perfectly-placed glancing header.



The frontman might even have had a fourth when found by Redmond in the box, but Bettinelli reacted quickly to keep out Austin’s toe-poke down to his left.



Fulham came close to a consolation goal when a low shot from half-time substitute Rui Fonte deflected narrowly wide, before Ibrahima Cissé read the flight of the ensuing corner to get the Londoners on the scoresheet from close range.



Southampton 5-1 Fulham (Romeu 1’, Austin 21’, 24’ pen, 52’, Højbjerg 39’; Cissé 71’)



Southampton XI: Taylor; Pied, Stephens, Gardos (Bakary 69’), Targett; Romeu (Obafemi 69’), McQueen; Ward-Prowse, Højbjerg, Redmond; Austin.



Fulham XI: Bettinelli; S.Sessegnon, Madl (Graham 65’), Djaló, Soares (Odoi 41'); Cissé, McDonald (O’Riley 41'); Mollo (Fredericks 41'), Cairney (Francois 41'), Graham (de la Torre 41'); Kamara (Fonte 41').

Related Saints' November International Guide