Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has described his side's performance during their 3-0 win over relegation rivals Southampton as "perfect".

It took only 63 seconds for the Magpies to take the lead at St James' Park, with Kenedy getting the first of his two goals before Matt Ritchie capped off the scoring in the second half.

The result lifts Newcastle up to 13th place with a five-point gap now separating them from the relegation zone, and Benitez was full of praise for the aggression his side showcased.

"We needed to start with intensity and we did it. We scored the goal and after, we were pushing, we were aggressive, we scored a second goal," the Spaniard told reporters at his post-match press conference.

"After the game against Bournemouth, we said, 'We have to kill the game, we need to score the third goal,' so everything was perfect because the commitment of the players and the work-rate was fantastic, and also the way that we were playing.

"With [Kenedy], any situation is good for me when you see a player with quality using his quality to make a difference."

The victory is Newcastle's joint-biggest of the season in any competition.