Prediction: Tottenham vs Southampton

Prediction: Draw

Best Odds: 31/10

Bookmaker: 888sport

The Premier League returns with a rare set of midweek fixtures in the wake of both the international break and the latest round of FA Cup games. There’s a big backlog to try and work through between now and the end of the season as a result of postponements and yet, we couldn’t be more excited to see what happens. Today, we’re going to take a look at what should be a fascinating clash between top flight regulars Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton.

Tottenham

Everyone expected Antonio Conte to be the primary catalyst behind Spurs finally edging their way back into Champions League contention but as we’ve come to learn, it’s not quite that simple. There’s a lot of deadwood in this team that shouldn’t be featuring regularly for a club of this stature but in reality, there’s no attacking drive in what they’re doing – which needs to change if they want to salvage this campaign.

Team News

Conte will have to deal without the presence of Tanganga, Dier and Skipp with many expecting an unchanged team from the one that beat Brighton.

Southampton

Southampton are lingering around midtable and next season feels like the moment which is either going to make or break Ralph Hasenhuttl and his tenure on the south coast. For the time being, they’re 10 points clear of the relegation zone and 11 points adrift from sixth place – and with a fifth round appearance in the FA Cup to think about, that may turn out to be their priority.

Team News

Lyanco is out for several months and he’ll be joining McCarthy and Tella on the shelf. Elsewhere, Smallbone could make his return with Broja being a fitness concern.

Factors to Consider

• Tottenham are 7th in the Premier League whereas Southampton are 12th.
• Tottenham have won three and lost three of their last six games.
• Southampton have won three, drawn two and lost one of their last six games.
• Tottenham have scored nine goals and conceded nine in their last six games.
• Southampton have scored 12 goals and conceded nine in their last six games.

Conclusion

The problem for Tottenham is that their negative style of play seems to have carried over into this new regime which, in many ways, could be the fault of either the players themselves or the coaching team. Whatever the case may be they’re coming up against a Saints team who don’t have much to lose or even fight for, which leads us to believe they’ll go out there and earn themselves a draw in North London.

Prediction: Draw

Best Odds: 31/10

Bookmaker: 888sport