Norwich 0-3 Southampton: Danny Ings scores as Norwich suffer crushing defeat

Three second-half goals from Southampton condemned Norwich to their fourth defeat in five games, denting their hopes of Premier League survival.

Saints top scorer Danny Ings curled in the opener shortly after half-time, before Stuart Armstrong doubled their lead five minutes later.

Norwich looked lacklustre at an eerily empty Carrow Road, and Nathan Redmond confirmed a win for Southampton when he slotted into the bottom right corner late on.

The Canaries remain bottom of the table following a 104-day absence.

And the time away from Premier League action, due to the coronavirus pandemic, did little to spark any signs of a comeback from Norwich, who have just eight games to claw back a six-point deficit on 17th-placed Watford above the relegation zone.

In the Premier League era, no team with 21 points or fewer after their 30th game of a season has survived the drop.

It was a positive performance from Southampton, who capitalised on the break, pressing high and taking advantage of space in bbehind the Canaries' defence.

The Saints move up into 13th place, and have opened up a 10-point gap on the bottom three, having played a game more than those hovering around the safety mark.

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Experimental Norwich running out of time

Before the game, Norwich boss Daniel Farke said he believed five wins from their nine remaining fixtures would be enough to preserve their Premier League status.

But they remain five points from safety, with a goal difference considerably inferior to their rivals, and are still to travel to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City in July.

This was a game against a side in the bottom half of the table which Farke would have been hoping to tick off as one of those five desired victories.

He experimented with their formation - starting Josip Drmic and Teemu Pukki up front together - but it did not pay off.

Pukki's superb pass set up Drmic in the first half but the Swiss international looked rusty throughout and he needed a touch too many to get the ball out from under his feet, wasting the opportunity.

It was met with a faded roar from the new television-enhanced crowd noise - something that became a common theme in the first half as the hosts probed but ultimately failed to create many clear-cut chances.

And when Ings' effort curled in, early in the second half, Norwich never recovered, conceding again five minutes later. They remain the only top-flight club yet to earn a point from a losing position this season.

More to follow.