
ST MARY'S MATCH ZONE CLICK HERE to check out all of the key stats from Southampton's monumental win over Sunderland. Advertisement

Southampton steamrollered Sunderland by hitting eight goals past them for their biggest league win in almost a century.

The last time scenes like this were seen was when they scored eight away from home against Northampton Town in December 1921.

Ninety-three years later and Southampton repeated the feat in front of a home crowd for the first time.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Ronald Koeman: I'm still in shock after Southampton 8-0 Sunderland

Ronald Koeman's Southampton side continued their impressive run of form by crushing a hapless Sunderland 8-0

Santiago Vergini sets the tone for the afternoon by smashing the ball into his own net after just 11 minutes of the match at St Mary's

The in-form Graziano Pelle, who recently scored his first international goal on his debut for Italy, scores Southampton's second goal

Former Arsenal man Vito Mannone watches on as Jack Cork squeezes the ball into the back of Sunderland's net for Southampton's third

MATCH FACTS Southampton (4-3-3): Forster 7; Clyne 7, Jose Fonte 7.5, Alderweireld 7.5, Bertrand 7; S Davis 7 (Mane 65 7.5), Schneiderlin 7.5, Cork; Long 6.5 (Wanyama 65 7), Pelle 8 (Mayuka 80), Tadic 8.5. Subs not used: K Davis, Yoshida, Gardos, Reed. Manager: Ronald Koeman 8.5 Booked: Schneiderlin Sunderland (4-1-4-1): Mannone 2; Vergini 1.5, O'Shea 4, Brown 4 (Bridcutt 45 3), van Aanholt 4; Cattermole 4.5; Buckley 5, Larsson 4.5 (Rodwell 60), Gomez 5 (Johnson 61), Wickham 4.5; Fletcher 5. Subs not used: Pantilimon, Cabral, Mavrias, Graham. Manager: Gus Poyet 2 Booked: Cattermole, Wickham, Bridcutt. Referee: Andre Marriner 6 MOTM: Pelle Stadium: St Mary's Advertisement

The home side were already cruising four goals ahead when they added four goals in 16 minutes of devastation to annihilate the visitors.

Only two teams have ever scored more in a single Premier League game; Manchester United hit nine past Ipswich in 1995 and Tottenham did the same against Wigan in 2009.

But this result added Ronald Koeman's Southampton into the pantheon of great performances.

Even the Southampton manager admitted he was surprised by the result. 'I'm still a little bit in shock,' Koeman said afterwards. 'That is not a normal result. I was surprised after 20 minutes about the score; 2-0 up and we didn't start the game well. Sunderland were dominating and we had problems.

'The first 20 minutes it was very flat. But that's football and sometimes you're surprised how the game is changing. If you're asking me after 15 mins if it will be an easy win my answer would be no.

'In the end we played great football, we scored great goals and it was a great afternoon.'

The tone was set for the afternoon when Santiago Vergini scored the own goal of the season in only the 11th minute.

Sunderland's defender can surely not have struck a sweeter volley and the ball flew into the bottom-right corner past his own goalkeeper Vito Mannone.

St Mary's Stadium was momentarily stunned into silence.

An incredulous Gus Poyet was the most shocked. 'Even if you watch that 20 times you don't know how it can happen,' the Sunderland manager said.

The home side doubled their lead on 18 minutes when Steven Davis ran down the left flank and sent in a low cross for Graziano Pelle, completely free, to continue his tremendous form with a tap in.

Then, with similarly sloppy marking, it was three on 37 minutes. Jack Cork made a late run into the box and was not picked up, Dusan Tadic picked him out with a clipped ball from inside the box on the left and he forced the ball in.

Substitute Liam Bridcutt added to Sunderland's embarrassment by sending the ball into his own net in the 62nd minute.

The unfortunate Italian goalkeeper picks the ball out of his net for the third time while Cork wheels away in celebration

Cork, Dusan Tadic and Ryan Bertrand celebrate their side's third goal, which game eight minutes before half time

Sunderland's player sit dejected on the floor after Liam Bridcutt puts the ball into his own net, it was their second own goal of the match

The 29-year-old former Feyenoord forward adds his second, and Southampton's fifth, goal of the afternoon

Summer signing Dusan Tadic jumps into the arms of Italian forward Pelle after scoring his side's sixth goal

Former Celtic man Victor Wanyama celebrates scoring Southampton's seventh of the afternoon

Second-half substitute Sadio Mane completes the rout by scoring his side's eighth, and final, goal of the afternoon

SIXTH BIGGEST WIN IN HISTORY 04/03/1995: Manchester United 9-0 Ipswich 22/11/2009: Tottenham 9-1 Wigan 19/09/1999: Newcastle 8-0 Sheffield Wednesday 09/05/2010: Chelsea 8-0 Wigan 23/12/2012: Chelsea 8-0 Aston Villa 18/10/2014: Southampton 8-0 Sunderland Advertisement

Pelle's shot was saved by Mannone but the ball squirmed into the path of Bridcutt, then squirmed between his feet, then squirmed over the line.

If only Poyet had pointed his players in the right direction.

It took only another seven minutes before Southampton made it five. This time Pelle made no mistake with his shot, running on to Tadic's through ball and sending a the ball across goal into the bottom left corner.

That was his sixth goal in eight Premier League games since signing in the summer, celebrating in fitting style his player of the month award and scoring on his Italy debut during the international break.

Southampton were as relentless as Sunderland were shocking and added another two goals in the space of a minute.

Mannone played his part in Sunderland's comedy show, passing the ball straight to Tadic who sent it back past him and into the open net on 78 minutes.

Lee Cattermole pulls off an acrobatic foul on opposition striker Shane Long during their match at St Mary's

Cattermole and John O'Shea argue with referee Andre Marriner while Scottish forward Steven Fletcher watches on

Central midfielder Steven Davis clears the ball while former Birmingham and Arsenal man Seb Larsson watches on

Southampton fans watch on as their side complete the sixth biggest win in Premier League history

The electronic scoreboard at St Mary's shows the full extent of the horror for Sunderland's travelling fans

The round-trip from Sunderland to Southampton and back is a staggering 653.4 miles, which would take the away supporters 11 hours

Jordi Gomez tumbles to the ground after Saints captain Jose Fonte puts in a heavy challenge on the former Wigan man

Then almost straight from the kick off substitute Victor Wanyama fired first-time past the Sunderland goalkeeper.

And with four minutes remaining Tadic crossed low into the box for another substitute, Sadio Mane, to run in and place the ball into the net.

The result well and truly dispelled the myth that the winner of the manager of the month award goes on to have a poor result in their next game.

After the accolade was picked up by Koeman for leading Southampton to the top three in the opening part of this season, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho reminded everyone of the that curse ahead of the weekend's fixtures.

Opposition managers Gus Poyet and Ronald Koeman greet each other before their Premier League meeting

Fletcher attempts to reduce the deficit but is surrounded by Fonte, Morgan Schneiderlin and Dutch defender Toby Alderweireld

Sunderland striker Connor Wickham at full stretch to reach the ball while Nathaniel Clyne attempts to close him down

Pelle, who was recently given the Premier League player of the month award for September, takes a shot against Sunderland

Mannone endured a torrid afternoon, conceding more goals in a single match than he has ever done before

DISTANCE COVERED STATS MINS PLD KM MILES Southampton 118.4 73.6 Jack Cork 90 12.5 7.8 Dusan Tadic 90 12.3 7.6 Morgan Schneiderlin 90 12.1 7.5 Sunderland 112.8 70.1 William Buckley 90 12.5 7.7 Lee Cattermole 90 11.0 6.9 Santiago Vergini 90 10.8 6.7 Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League Advertisement

That he is even mentioning Koeman says a great deal about how much of an impression Southampton, in third, are making.

'Maybe I thank Mourinho for that,' Koeman joked. 'He gave my players motivation. I like Mourinho. I look forward to playing Chelsea.'

The game could have been different had referee Andre Marriner awarded Sunderland a first-half penalty when Steven Fletcher was played through on goal by Lee Cattermole, knocked the ball past the on-rushing Fraser Forster then tumbled over the Southampton goalkeeper.

It was still only 2-0 at that point. 'If the ref did his job, it's a penalty and a red card and maybe 2-1 and then we're talking about a different game,' Poyet explained.

A Sunderland fan who had made the 650-mile round trip, across the whole country and back, was caught on camera sobbing by the end. No wonder, it was the first time they had conceded eight since September 1982 against Watford.

'I can't explain what happened,' Poyet added. 'I will let the players explain to you, maybe they will have better words. I don't.

'It's going to be a difficult week. The players who are on the pitch next week are going to do something about it.'

Southampton's impressive form this season has seen them rise to third in the Premier League table, just one point behind the champions

Fletcher and former Manchester City winger Adam Johnson prepare to kick off, something they did nine times at St Mary's