Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur
Venue: St. Mary’s Stadium
Kick off: 12:45pm
The Champions League pace has proven just too hot to handle for Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, who meet on Saturday (today) at St Mary’s Stadium.
Mauricio Pochettino’s current and former clubs are both at least seven points adrift of the Premier League’s top four and now likely vying for a Europa League place.
There were few who envied the task on Ronald Koeman’s hands when he took over from Pochettino in the summer, with the Argentine having led the Saints to a Premier League best points total of 56 in his final season in charge.
Particularly after the pre-season exodus of five of the club’s best players, Southampton were tipped to be involved in the relegation mix, but they have not dropped out of the top seven since August in a testament to the remarkable job that Koeman has done.
Missing out on Europe’s top table will again put pressure on the club in the summer transfer window, with Schneiderlin among a handful of players who are apparently looking to test themselves at the highest level.
Tottenham are currently one point and one place above Southampton in the table, but realistically no more likely to gatecrash the top-four party, with Manchester City boasting a seven-point cushion and Liverpool also ahead of them in the running.
Not qualifying for the Champions League has been enough to get several managers sacked by the demanding White Hart Lane hierarchy, but Pochettino’s position seems secure as Spurs look for stability ahead of the opening of their new stadium.
A 3-1 win over Newcastle United last weekend ended a disappointing run in which they had drawn with Burnley and lost at home to Aston Villa to pass up their chances of capitalising on City’s faltering form.
While the Europa League is sometimes regarded as a poisoned chalice, continental football remains a necessity for Spurs – who need a platform to keep their big squad happy and develop their younger players – placing extra importance on Pochettino’s first return to St Mary’s.
Southampton possible starting lineup: Davis; Clyne, Yoshida, Fonte, Bertrand; Davis, Schneiderlin, Ward-Prowse; Tadic, Mane, Pelle
Spurs possible starting lineup: Lloris; Dier, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies; Mason, Bentaleb; Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela; Kane.
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