An underconfident Tottenham Hotspur side return home to face the Premier League’s bottom dwellers, Southampton, on Sunday afternoon.
If you look at Spurs’ recent form or their last couple of games, it ruins your mood when you think they’re going to carry this form when they play Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarter-finals next week. But then there’s a bit of hope; Southampton – everyone’s taking advantage of them, so why not Spurs?
What time does Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton kick-off?
Location: London, England
Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Date: Sunday 6th April 2025
Kick-off Time: 2 pm BST
Referee: Michael Salisbury
VAR: Graham Scott
How both teams go into Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton
Apparently, a two-week rest and a fully fit squad are still not enough for Ange Postecoglou to win games. That’s exactly what we saw in their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea two days ago.
It wasn’t the worst performance, considering we’ve seen worse with that same scoreline this season, but you’d definitely expect better from what was supposedly Spurs’ strongest XI in a long time. Anyway, it was just another day at Stamford Bridge.
After that result, Spurs have just one win in their last seven in all competitions, with four losses. They sit 14th in the table with 34 points, level with Everton at 15th. Notably, they haven’t scored a goal in all four of those defeats. Before the international break, they also lost 2-0 to Fulham.
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Bottom of the table and one defeat away from confirming relegation are Southampton. With just two wins all season, 24 defeats, and 10 points, it’s hard not to see them playing in the Championship next season.
Relegation would’ve been confirmed if they had lost to Crystal Palace in their previous game, but they finally woke up and played their hearts out. They scored first and kept the lead before conceding in stoppage time, ending the match 1-1. That’s arguably the best they’ve played in a very long time.
Almost Spurs-like, they are winless in their last seven games across all competitions. However, comparing Spurs to Southampton paints the perfect picture of how low the standards have dropped.
Spurs’ head-to-head record vs Southampton
Every team has that one opponent from the relegation zone that they struggle against (at least Spurs do) and for them, it’s Southampton. They have a history of frustrating Spurs from the bottom.
Taking into account just the last four meetings before this season, The Saints have won one, Spurs one, and the other two ended in draws.
Spurs’ record at St. Mary’s is far worse, having won only once in their last six visits. However, this is a home fixture, so the away record will be of lesser importance.
That said, this season has been different. The reverse fixture saw Spurs demolish Southampton 5-0, with all goals coming in the first half alone, leading to the sacking of then-manager Russell Martin. Now, it’s the other team’s manager under pressure.
Tottenham team news
It’s rare for a Tottenham game to go by without an injury. Against Chelsea, it was Micky Van de Ven’s turn, though it wasn’t exactly an injury. Postecoglou described Van de Ven as “cramped up.” Thankfully, everyone else got through the game unscathed.
Richarlison was said to have a chance to feature in this fixture, according to pre-match updates before Chelsea, but he wasn’t mentioned in this game’s press conference.
Kulusevski and Danso remain out for another one or two weeks, while Dragusin is the only long-term absentee.
Southampton team news
Albert Gronbaek, Ugochukwu, Onuachu, Ross Stewart, and William Smallbone are all doubtful. Ryan Fraser is the only confirmed absentee. Flynn Downes misses out due to yellow card accumulation.
Predicted Tottenham Line-Up
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Davies, Udogie; Bergvall, Bissouma, Sarr; Johnson, Richarlison, Tel
Expect most of those who started against Chelsea to be rested due to the short turnaround and more importantly, to keep key players fresh for the Eintracht Frankfurt clash.
If Richarlison isn’t fit, Werner or Moore could start over Solanke. Gray might also start, either in defence or midfield. Van de Ven is unlikely to be risked, which is why Ben Davies gets the nod.
Key players to watch
Brennan Johnson. An odd pick? Maybe. But he looked decent in parts against Chelsea, nearly grabbing an assist and attempting as many duels as he had in his previous two games combined. The reason this stat matters? He’s been criticised for avoiding duels entirely. With Odobert performing well, Johnson will have to prove himself.
Yves Bissouma. Another unusual pick? Perhaps, but he might finally get a chance to redeem himself after a string of inconsistent performances. He had a strong international break with two assists in two games for Mali and wasn’t given any minutes against Chelsea. Like Johnson, he needs to take his chance. That said, Bissouma always shows up against smaller clubs.
Mathys Tel. Fans were frustrated with his late introduction against Chelsea (88th minute), especially since Solanke struggled throughout. Despite playing only a few minutes, Tel had just 10 touches fewer than Solanke, who played the full game. He lacks a bit of confidence, but you can’t not have confidence when you’re playing Southampton’s 3-man-backline.
Tyler Dibling. A long-time target for Spurs, Dibling impressed in the reverse fixture and could do so again. He has won 48.2% of his duels in the league, an impressive stat considering his teammates’ numbers.
Our prediction
Since Ivan Juric took over from Russell Martin, apart from their formation, nothing has changed at Southampton. They remain leaky and disconnected but you never know when teams turn into their prime selves against Spurs.
That said, this fixture comes at the perfect time for Spurs. They couldn’t have asked for a better opponent before their Europa League quarter-final. Given Southampton’s dire form and Spurs’ need for a confidence boost, we predict a comfortable win for the home side.