Tottenham Hotspur will take on Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, looking to boost their top-four hopes with a win away from home.
Tottenham picked up a comprehensive win over Nottingham Forest in their last outing. And they have now racked up four wins from their last six league matches.
On the other hand, Southampton are at the bottom of the table and were beaten by Brentford at home in their last outing. It remains to be seen whether the Saints can get back to winning ways. The home fans will be desperate for a big result here. And it remains to be seen whether the players can step up and deliver.
Southampton are unbeaten in two of their last three matches against Tottenham. And they are in desperate need of points right now. With their top-four rivals breathing down their necks, Tottenham cannot afford to slip up right now. So this is likely to be a thrilling contest. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
⏭ Next up we face The Saints…
🔜 #SOUTOT pic.twitter.com/Fr2RwxcG48
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 16, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Southampton
The home side will be without the services of Tino Livramento (knee) and Juan Larios (muscle injury) because of fitness issues.
Southampton are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Gavin Bazunu in goal. James Bree and Romain Perraud are likely to be deployed as the full-backs here. They are likely to sit deep and keep the defensive unit compact. They will also be expected to help during counter-attacks. Jan Bednarek will partner with Armel Bella-Kotchap at the heart of the defence.
James Ward-Prowse will start in the midfield pivot alongside Romeo Lavia. While the talented young defensive midfielder will look to break up the opposition play and protect the central defenders, Ward-Prowse will look to add creativity from the deep.
Theo Walcott and Kamaldeen Sulemana will start as the wingers here, and they will look to inject pace and flair in the final third. Carlos Alcaraz is set to start as the central attacking midfielder behind striker Che Adams.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bazunu; Bree, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap, Perraud; Ward-Prowse, Lavia; Walcott, Alcaraz, Sulemana; Adams
Tottenham
Antonio Conte will be without the services of Hugo Lloris, Yves Bissouma, Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Bentancur. Tottenham are likely to shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Fraser Forster in goal.
The back three pretty much picks itself, with Cristian Romero partnering ring Eric Dier and Clement Lenglet. The three players will be expected to help build from the back and keep things tight at the centre of the defence.
January signing Pedro Porro will start as the right wing-back here along, with Ben Davies on the left. In the middle of the park, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will look to control proceedings alongside Oliver Skipp. Harry Kane will lead the line for the visitors with Son Heung-min and Richarlison behind him as the attacking midfielders.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Forster; Romero, Dier, Lenglet; Porro, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Davies; Richarlison, Son; Kane
Key Stats
- Tottenham have scored at least two goals in five of their last six matches against Southampton in all competitions.
- Southampton have fired blanks in ten games this season.
- Out of 23 previous meetings, Southampton have won 4 matches while Tottenham Hotspur won 15. 4 matches between them have ended in a draw.
- Southampton have beaten Tottenham just once in their last seven matches.
- Tottenham are looking to complete a league double over the Saints for the first time since the 2020/21 season.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
20+ @premierleague goals in six different seasons for @HKane ✅
Only the third player ever to achieve this 👏
One of our own 💙
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 14, 2023
The 29-year-old Spurs striker has been in fine form this season, scoring 20 goals in 27 league matches. Kane scored a brace in his last outing against Nottingham Forest and he will be hoping to add to his tally against a vulnerable Southampton defence.
The home side have lost 17 of their 27 league matches so far, and they will struggle to deal with a world-class striker like Harry Kane here. The Tottenham captain is our player to watch out for, and he could make a big difference in the final third for his side.
Prediction
Southampton 1-3 Tottenham
Tottenham are undoubtedly the favourites heading into the game, and they should be able to grind out all three points. Southampton have been vulnerable at the back and they will struggle to cope with players like Kane, Son and Richarlison.
All three players are hungry to get on the scoresheet here and they should be able to find a way past Southampton’s porous backline. The home side are devoid of form and confidence right now and the gulf in quality should see Tottenham pick up all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 away win here.