Southampton FC vs Tottenham Hotspur FC, Premier League 2020-2021, Today Match Prediction

Southampton FC vs Tottenham Hotspur FC Match Prediction & Analysis

What a week of two halves it has been for supporters of Tottenham. 

At the end of last weekend, they were left licking their wounds after a poor defeat to Everton, all of the optimism of a second-season Mourinho lift deflated.

Now, onto their second of four matches in the space of eight days, they are boosted by the news of two new signings – club legend Gareth Bale returning from Real Madrid, as well as full-back Sergio Reguilon in a £40m swap. 

Even if they aren’t available straight away, they’ll give the dressing room a massive boost.

As for Southampton, they barely laid a glove on Crystal Palace last weekend. Despite having the second-top goalscorer last season in Danny Ings, the south-coast side barely threatened the goal and will need to improve.

Spurs have not lost back-to-back opening matches since 2011 and Mourinho usually gets a response out of his players after a defeat.

Expect one here.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Southampton FC Preview

Predicted 2020/21 finish: 10th 

Reasons to be cheerful:

     Fine goalscorer in Danny Ings

     Have won previous two home league meetings against Spurs

Reasons to be fearful:

     Midfielder Nathan Redmond ruled out through ankle injury

     Will be fearful of a strong response from Tottenham after last weekend

For a team which ended last season as strongly as they did, staying unbeaten in the final 7 games of the campaign, The Saints will be disappointed at how they started against Palace.

Despite having 71% possession against the east-London side, they failed to create too many clear-cut opportunities.

Their home form will worry manager Ralph Hasenhüttl also. Only Liverpool and Man City secured more points on the road last season, however at home The Saints lost 10 matches and only won twice since February.

They do have some quality players - Danny Ings scored 22 league goals last season – however their next topscorer was Ward-Prowse with only 5. If Ings fails to rediscover form, Southampton could struggle for goals.

While it’s still early in the campaign, they won’t want two defeats from two this weekend.

Star Man – Danny Ings

Yet to get off the mark this season, but Southampton will rely on his goals again this campaign

Tottenham Hotspur FC Preview

Predicted 2020/21 finish: 5th  

Reasons to be cheerful

     Incoming signing Bale will improve morale

     Mourinho rarely loses two matches on the bounce

Reasons to be fearful

     Apart from Kane, no other player has scored any of the last six goals

     Nine games without a cleansheet against Southampton

Jose Mourinho would have been disappointed with the way his side started the campaign against Everton. 

They create a couple of chances, but over the 90 minutes were second-best and looking short of ideas. 

They did manage a win in midweek, however, in a Europa League qualifying game, beginning a run of 4 matches in 8 days. Spurs are likely, therefore, to rotate a few players in and out of the side in the coming weeks.

Despite incoming signing Gareth Bale highly unlikely to have any involvement in the game vs. Southampton, his arrival will lift the players as quality signings usually do. Bale will take some time to bring his match fitness levels up, but will boost Spurs with quality throughout the season.

Against Southampton Spurs will look to be positive and bounce back with a victory against a Saints team who also looked off the pace last weekend.

Star Man – Harry Kane

Has scored 5 of Spurs’ last 6 goals and is likely to get in on the action this weekend