Tottenham Hotspur make the trip to face Southampton on the south coast having got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
A return of just one point from three domestic games has resulted in Mauricio Pochettino having to start to look over his shoulder towards the chasing pack, but Spurs will at least travel to the south coast in a positive frame of mind.
Back-to-back defeats to Burnley and Chelsea could have potentially led to more disappointment against Arsenal in the North London derby, but a comeback point which included a last-minute penalty save from Hugo Lloris led to a draw feeling like a win.
The lack of wins effectively took away any possibility of complacency setting in ahead of the second leg against Dortmund in the Champions League last 16, despite a 3-0 advantage being held from the first game at Wembley Stadium.
Spurs had to ride their luck on several occasions during the first half of Tuesday night, but a second-half Harry Kane goal helped Pochettino’s men record a 4-0 aggregate success against the Bundesliga leaders.
The result was a reminder that this remains a talented and united squad who can match anyone on their day, but Pochettino has been left continuing to search for the consistency required to end the club’s wait for another trophy.
A game against a club struggling team at the wrong end of the table is arguably the perfect fixture for Pochettino to see whether his players have learned from their recent setbacks, although his observations will have to come from the stands, having being handed a two-match touchline ban.
The punishment is a blow from an individual perspective, but it at least gives Pochettino the same viewpoint that he will have when Spurs face Liverpool at Anfield in three weeks time.
The enforced break may come at the right time for the club, but that opinion could change if Spurs go a fourth Premier League game without success.
Southampton however have recorded just five points from their last half-a-dozen outings in the top flight, but the club’s supporters remain confident of a successful future under Ralph Hasenhuttl.
That could be dependent on survival in the Premier League, but the Saints have one of the more favourable season-ending schedules with no visits having to be made to teams featuring in the top six.
The last of those came last weekend as Southampton produced an impressive showing against Manchester United at Old Trafford, only for a late effort from Romelu Lukaku to deny the visitors a deserved share of the spoils.
Southampton possible XI: Gunn, Bednarek, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Valery, Romeu, Hojbjerg, Bertrand, Ward-Prowse, Redmond, Austin.
Tottenham possible XI: Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose, Dier, Winks, Sissoko, Eriksen, Son, Kane.
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