Just days after sacking Jose Mourinho, Tottenham welcome losing FA Cup semi-finalists, Southampton to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in an rearranged Premier League clash.
Victory would lift Tottenham above Liverpool into sixth, whereas Southampton could move above Crystal Palace into 13th with a win.
Team News
Harry Kane is a major doubt for Tottenham after suffering an ankle injury in Friday’s 2-2 draw at Everton.
Matt Doherty (muscle) and Ben Davies (calf) remain absent.
Southampton could welcome Michael Obafemi back from a muscle injury if he can prove his fitness in time, having missed much of 2021 with a muscle injury which required surgery but resumed training last week.
Will Smallbone (knee) and Oriol Romeu (ankle) are ruled out
Stat Attack
- Tottenham have won three of their last five Premier League meetings against Southampton (W3, L2).
- Southampton have won one of their last five away league trips to Spurs (W1, L4), although the Saints have lost both trips to Spurs’ new stadium in different competitions (L2).
- Both teams have scored in 11 of their last 12 meetings across all competitions.
- Seven of Tottenham’s last nine home league goals have come from the combination of Gareth Bale and Harry Kane with four and three goals respectively.
- Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Saints have scored just six goals in eight away league games in 2021, conceding 26 goals across those trips on the road.
Prediction
With Mourinho now gone and anger at the club’s decision to break away to form European Super League, Spurs will be relieved that this game is behind-closed-doors otherwise all bets would be off as to how the team play under Ryan Mason’s management.
Mason’s priority however has to be to shore up the defence which has been just shambolic since returning from the international break, especially when midfield and attack have been strong and consistent.
Southampton will be disappointed with their display at Wembley because they never really got a foothold in the game against Leicester, whilst a lack of composure and accuracy from Ibrahima Diallo in finishing chances particularly cost them late on.
It is worth noting though that Spurs have the Carabao Cup Final on Sunday so team and tactical changes could be on the cards, although a win should be a decent bet if Southampton again fail to turn up like they failed to do in their last two matches.
Prediction: Tottenham 2-0 Southampton
Result: Tottenham 2-1 Southampton