The festive fun in the Premier League continues on Tuesday as Southampton welcome Tottenham Hotspur to St. Mary’s.
On Boxing Day, Spurs moved up to fifth in the table with an easy 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace. They are now six points behind fourth-place Arsenal with three games in hand.
🕷 Good morning. 🚘 @cinchuk pic.twitter.com/byMcC18SJ2— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 27, 2021
🕷 Good morning. 🚘 @cinchuk pic.twitter.com/byMcC18SJ2
Meanwhile, Southampton beat West Ham 3-2 to move up to fourteenth – eight points clear of the relegation zone and nine points behind Tottenham.
Despite being pegged back on two occasions on Sunday, Saints eventually got the better of West Ham. Mohamed Elyounoussi, James Ward-Prowse and Jan Bednarek grabbed the goals.
Southampton have now lost just one of their previous five Premier League games, picking up a win and three draws along the way.
Following back-to-back draws with Leicester and Brighton, Saints lost to Arsenal before drawing with Crystal Palace.
That said, Sunday’s victory over the Hammers was their first since early November. They have only managed to win one of their last seven Premier League outings.
It is also worth pointing out that just six teams have scored fewer Premier League goals than Southampton this season.
On the flip side, it’s safe to say that Tottenham are enjoying something of a revival under new manager Antonio Conte.
Spurs are currently enjoying a six-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League, having claimed four wins and two draws since their last loss.
Not only have they have won four of their previous five Premier League outings, but they have also scored 12 goals in the process.
On top of that, Tottenham have kept four clean sheets across their past six league games – underlining their defensive solidity.
Head-to-head: Saints have only managed to win one of their last six meetings with Spurs in all competitions – and two of their previous 12.
Tottenham have won each of their past three matches against Southampton, scoring nine goals along the way.
Team news: Southampton will be without injured goalkeeper Alex McCarthy on Tuesday. Jack Stephens, Nathan Tella and Lyanco are all COVID-19 doubts.
As for Spurs, Dane Scarlett has tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, Cristian Romero and Ryan Sessegnon are sidelined through injury.
Given Southampton’s recent results, they are likely to give Spurs a run for their money. However, Conte’s side should be too strong for Saints.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Tottenham will secure a low-scoring win over Southampton – keeping a clean sheet in the process.