Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur
St Mary’s Stadium is the venue as Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur go head-to-head in a lopsided Premier League match.
Even though they’ve only scored twice in five Premier League matches under interim boss Ruben Selles, Southampton have picked up seven points (W2, D1, L1) but are still unable to get off the bottom of the table. After a 2-0 home loss to Brentford in midweek league action, the ‘Saints’ are looking to rediscover their scoring touch, with a 14-game scoring spree against Tottenham in the Premier League giving the home faithful plenty of reason for optimism. But Southampton should approach this fixture cautiously, considering they’re winless in their last 15 top-flight clashes against sides starting the round in the top four (D6, L9), conceding a staggering 43 goals in this run. In return, they netted only nine, which coincides with their woeful scoring record under Selles.
In the meantime, Tottenham Hotspur quickly responded to a 1-0 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers with a convincing 3-1 home win over Nottingham Forest last time out, establishing a four-point lead on fifth-placed Newcastle United in the process. But having played two games more than the ‘Magpies,’ Antonio Conte’s men cannot afford to rest on their laurels as they bid to overcome two consecutive league defeats on the road. St Mary’s has often been a happy hunting ground for ‘Spurs,’ as witnessed by their decent-looking run of five wins on their last ten Premier League visits to Southampton (D3, L2). Moreover, after an overwhelming 4-1 triumph in the reverse fixture in London, Tottenham could register their seventh top-flight double over the ‘Saints.’ Yet, after losing their last three competitive away games 1-0, they can’t take anything for granted.