Middlesbrough Thrash Southampton 4-0 to Return to Championship’s Automatic Promotion Places

Boro End Goal Drought in Style

Middlesbrough ended a four-game goal drought in style to move back into the Sky Bet Championship’s top two after hammering Southampton 4-0 at the Riverside Stadium on Sunday, 4th January 2026. The emphatic victory marked a crucial turning point for Kim Hellberg’s side, who had been struggling to find the back of the net in recent weeks.

Second-Half Masterclass Seals Victory

The match came to life after the break, with Morgan Whittaker double, Sam Silvera and Alan Browne strike in second half as Boro romp to victory. Morgan Whittaker stepped up at the right moment and finished with composure to score the opening goal of the match in the 54th minute. The floodgates then opened as Sam Silvera scored to extend Boro’s lead in the 61st minute, capping off the home side’s strong dominance in the second half.

Whittaker completed his brace in the 66th minute before Alan Browne added a fourth goal in the 76th minute, completing the rout in front of 26,077 fans at the Riverside Stadium.

Significance for Both Clubs

Boro, who had dropped out of the automatic promotion places after failing to win any of their previous four matches, recaptured their spark after the restart to leave Southampton winless in six matches. The victory was particularly important as Middlesbrough had entered the match in poor form, slipping to third in the standings with 43 points from 25 games.

For Southampton, the defeat extended their worrying run of form, with Southampton sitting 15th in the division and winless in five before kick-off. The comprehensive loss highlighted the contrasting fortunes of both sides in the Championship promotion race, with Middlesbrough firmly back in contention for automatic promotion whilst the Saints find themselves seven points adrift of the play-off places.