Tottenham vs Southampton predictions: Spurs' Euro distraction to aid Saints
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- Spurs were beaten 1-0 at Chelsea on Thursday night
- Rock-bottom Saints drew 1-1 against Crystal Palace on Wednesday
- Recommended bet: Southampton +1.25 Asian Handicap
Tottenham produced one of their best performances of the season at Southampton where they won 5-0 before Christmas, but there are not many Spurs' diehards predicting something similar back on home soil on Sunday.
Bottom club Saints look doomed but Tottenham are struggling and next Thursday's Europa League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt is surely coach Ange Postecoglou's main focus now.
Team news
Spurs are still missing Kevin Danso and Dejan Kulusevski while Mickey van de Ven will be a doubt after cramping up on Thursday, his first league start since December.
Postecoglou may bring in the likes of Yves Bissouma, Ben Davies and Brennan Johnson to freshen up his side.
Saints' chief Ivan Juric thinks Paul Onuachu, scorer in the 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, could struggle with two starts in a week. Cameron Archer stands by.
Will Smallbone hopes to shake off a groin problem and would replace Flynn Downes, who is suspended.
The stats
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Only Liverpool and Manchester City have scored more league goals than Tottenham (55).
Heung-Min Son has had a hand in 18 goals in 16 Premier League appearances against Saints with 11 goals and seven assists.
Southampton have lost 24 of their 30 Premier League matches this season.
Both teams have scored in 16 of the last 18 meetings between these sides. Fourteen of the last 18 have produced over 2.5 goals.
Prediction
Southampton are playing for pride only now and there were hints that self-respect means something by the battling way they shared the spoils in Wednesday's 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace.
They are still a poor side with only 10 points to their name and they do take some hidings, one of which was suffered at the hands of Spurs, a 5-0 drubbing at St Mary's in December.
Having said that, of their 30 matches 14 have been lost by two goals or more, so there is a decent chance — especially if they repeat the Palace effort — that they can avoid a mauling at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
And it is a stadium which will have a toxic feel at the weekend with protests planned over the running of the club, which seems to extend now from the boardroom to the technical area where Postecoglou is running out of support.
The Greek will make changes from the 1-0 loss at Chelsea less than three days ago, especially with Eintracht Frankfurt coming on Thursday for a Europa League quarter-final first-leg tussle.
Spurs look low on confidence and if Southampton can offer early resistance there is every chance this turns into another uncomfortable afternoon for the hosts, who are easily swerved as the heavy favourites.
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