Sports Mole

Closing out the pre-Christmas Premier League action, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool scrap for supremacy in Sunday's tantalising tie at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The two giants of the English game collide just after being drawn to face one another in the EFL Cup semi-finals, which Spurs reached thanks to an astonishing 4-3 win over Manchester United after Arne Slot's side eked out a 2-1 success over managerless Southampton.

Nine places separate Liverpool and Spurs in the Premier League rankings at the time of writing, though, as the Reds sit two points clear of Chelsea in first place while Ange Postecoglou's team languish in 10th position.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.

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Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 183

Spurs wins: 49

Draws: 44

Liverpool wins: 90

Five of the first six meetings between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in the early 20th century may have been won by the Lilywhites, but the mammoths from Merseyside have since built up a dominant streak over their capital counterparts in this battle.

Indeed, the Reds have prevailed in 90 of the 183 competitive meetings between the two clubs down the years while only suffering 49 defeats, and another 44 scraps have ended in a share of the spoils.

However, one of those 49 losses for Liverpool came at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the 2023-24 season, albeit in highly infuriating circumstances, as Luis Diaz's goal was incorrectly disallowed by virtue of a "significant human error" before Joel Matip turned into his own net in added time.

Jurgen Klopp's crop avenged that cruel defeat with a 4-2 triumph at Anfield towards the end of the season, though, which marked Liverpool's 10th win from their last 13 matches against Tottenham; the only other aberrations for the Reds in that sequence were a pair of draws in the 2021-22 Premier League season.

Liverpool and Spurs have met exclusively in the Premier League since Klopp's crop also conquered Mauricio Pochettino's team in the 2018-19 Champions League final, where Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi broke Lilywhites hearts, and there have only been two wins for Spurs in the last 23 top-flight head-to-heads.

Furthermore, Liverpool are on a 17-game scoring streak against the North London outfit in the Premier League since last being shut out in a goalless draw in October 2015, which was Klopp's inaugural match in the Reds hotseat.

That drab affair also marks the last time that Tottenham and Liverpool played out a 0-0 stalemate, and entertainment at both ends is usually a guarantee between these two sides, as the last eight meetings have seen both teams score.

Speaking of goals, Spurs legend Jimmy Greaves and Liverpool icon Ian Rush lead the way in terms of individual goals in this head-to-head with 11 apiece, but current Reds hotshot Salah is on the cusp of matching that record, having struck 10 times against the Lilywhites in the past.

Last 20 meetings

May 05, 2024: Liverpool 4-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Sep 30, 2023: Spurs 2-1 Liverpool (Premier League)

Apr 30, 2023: Liverpool 4-3 Spurs (Premier League)

Nov 06, 2022: Spurs 1-2 Liverpool (Premier League)

May 07, 2022: Liverpool 1-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Dec 19, 2021: Spurs 2-2 Liverpool (Premier League)

Jan 28, 2021: Spurs 1-3 Liverpool (Premier League)

Dec 16, 2020: Liverpool 2-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Jan 11, 2020: Spurs 0-1 Liverpool (Premier League)

Oct 27, 2019: Liverpool 2-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Jun 01, 2019: Spurs 0-2 Liverpool (Champions League Final)

Mar 31, 2019: Liverpool 2-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Sep 15, 2018: Spurs 1-2 Liverpool (Premier League)

Feb 04, 2018: Liverpool 2-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Oct 22, 2017: Spurs 4-1 Liverpool (Premier League)

Feb 11, 2017: Liverpool 2-0 Spurs (Premier League)

Oct 25, 2016: Liverpool 2-1 Spurs (EFL Cup Round Four)

Aug 27, 2016: Spurs 1-1 Liverpool (Premier League)

Apr 02, 2016: Liverpool 1-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Oct 17, 2015: Spurs 0-0 Liverpool (Premier League)

Last 10 Premier League meetings

May 05, 2024: Liverpool 4-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Sep 30, 2023: Spurs 2-1 Liverpool (Premier League)

Apr 30, 2023: Liverpool 4-3 Spurs (Premier League)

Nov 06, 2022: Spurs 1-2 Liverpool (Premier League)

May 07, 2022: Liverpool 1-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Dec 19, 2021: Spurs 2-2 Liverpool (Premier League)

Jan 28, 2021: Spurs 1-3 Liverpool (Premier League)

Dec 16, 2020: Liverpool 2-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Jan 11, 2020: Spurs 0-1 Liverpool (Premier League)

Oct 27, 2019: Liverpool 2-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Read more on Spurs vs Liverpool

The treatment room empties: Liverpool injury list for Spurs clash

Werner, Udogie latest: Spurs injury, suspension list for Liverpool clash

Click here to read our full preview for Spurs vs Liverpool

One alteration from Ange? Predicted Tottenham XI against Liverpool

Robertson or Tsimikas? Jota or Nunez? Predicted Liverpool XI for Spurs clash

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Before locking horns in the EFL Cup semi-finals, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool collide in the pick of this weekend's Premier League ties in North London on Sunday afternoon.

Ange Postecoglou's team came up trumps in a 4-3 spectacular with Manchester United in midweek, while the league-leading Reds were 2-1 victors at Southampton to keep their quadruple hopes alive.

Match preview

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As Spurs boss Postecoglou went to embrace Ruben Amorim on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium touchline on Thursday, the knowing smile on the Australian's face said it all; he had just witnessed his side survive more than one monumental scare to move just two games away from Wembley.

A pair of calamities from Fraser Forster gifted Man United a route back into Thursday's semi-final after Tottenham raced into a 3-0 lead, but the Englishman's opposite number Altay Bayindir was not covering himself in glory either, and a Son Heung-min corner which flew straight into the back of the net ended up proving decisive.

Postecoglou - who also cut a pleasantly humorous demeanour in his post-match interview - will soon end Spurs' 17-year streak without a trophy if his second-season silverware comments are to ring true, and Tottenham's gripping semi-final win came after they hit Southampton for five last time out in the Premier League.

Spurs hammered the final nail into Russell Martin's St Mary's coffin by scoring five goals in the first half of a Premier League game for the first time ever, but they still lie smack-bang in the middle of the top-flight table, five points below the coveted Champions League places.

After snapping a miserable four-game winless run across all competitions on home soil, next on the agenda for a resurrected Tottenham outfit is avoiding a four-match winless sequence in Premier League home games, which they have not suffered since their days at White Hart Lane in 2013.

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Sunday's hosts may have slayed Southampton in just 45 minutes during last weekend's Premier League affair, but Arne Slot's Liverpool made harder work of seeing off the division's basement boys in cup action in midweek, prevailing by just the one goal rather than five.

Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott's first-half efforts ultimately proved telling, making Cameron Archer's fine strike inconsequential as Liverpool moved to within 270 minutes of defending their EFL Cup crown, one of four honours they are still in contention to win.

Now unbeaten in a terrific 20 matches in all competitions, the Reds remain at the top of the Premier League pile heading into the weekend, but their lead is no longer insurmountable; Chelsea have closed the gap to two points thanks to Liverpool's successive draws with Newcastle United and Fulham.

Rescuing a 2-2 draw against the Cottagers after losing Andy Robertson to a first-half red card was a noble feat, though, and not a single side has managed to conquer Slot's Liverpool as the home team this season; unsurprisingly, they are the only Premier League outfit with their unbeaten away record still intact this term.

Furthermore, only two of Liverpool's last 23 Premier League battles with Tottenham have seen the Reds lose, although one of those came at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season, where the infamous "significant human error" and late Joel Matip own goal triggered their downfall.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Liverpool Premier League form:

Liverpool form (all competitions):

Team News

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Tottenham continue to deal with a ravaged defence in the festive period, as none of Ben Davies (hamstring), Cristian Romero (thigh), Micky van de Ven (hamstring) or Guglielmo Vicario (ankle) will be available for this encounter, and nor will Mikey Moore (illness), Wilson Odobert (hamstring), Richarlison (hamstring) or the banned Rodrigo Bentancur.

Timo Werner might be back from a viral infection, though, while Destiny Udogie - who came off early in the Southampton game - only missed the EFL Cup win on account of being "a bit sore" and should be fine to square up to Mohamed Salah on Sunday.

Udogie for Djed Spence - albeit an in-form Djed Spence - ought to be the only alteration that Postecoglou considers for this colossal contest, where skipper Son needs only set up one goal to set a new club record for Premier League assists, having matched Darren Anderton's tally of 68 last weekend.

Liverpool's only selection concerns for Sunday's game also come at the back, but to a much lesser degree, as Conor Bradley (hamstring) and Ibrahima Konate (knee) are expected to be the visitors' only injury absentees this weekend.

Robertson is eligible to play again after serving his suspension in the EFL Cup, but with the Scotsman a shadow of his former self this season and Kostas Tsimikas now back from an ankle problem, it would not be a shock to see the Greek given the nod.

After enjoying a total rest in midweek, Salah could write another page of Premier League history; the Egypt international has already come up with 13 goals and nine assists in the 2024-25 Premier League, and he could be the first-ever player to hit double figures in both metrics before Christmas in one season.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Forster; Porro, Gray, Dragusin, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Solanke

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Liverpool

Each of Tottenham's last seven contests at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has seen both teams score, and that trend should not cease in Sunday's mouthwatering clash, as Liverpool are looking more defensively frail on the road than they previously were.

However, the Reds are working with an extra day's rest, were able to leave out some of their star names in midweek and face a Tottenham side still missing some of their key defensive cogs. In short, the Slot machine should continue to whirr as Liverpool spend Christmas Day at the summit.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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After learning that they will meet one another in the EFL Cup semi-finals, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool lock horns in Sunday's Premier League blockbuster at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ange Postecoglou's side nabbed the final spot in the EFL Cup semi-final draw courtesy of an engrossing 4-3 win over Manchester United in Thursday's quarter-final, and they will face either North London rivals Arsenal or Newcastle United should they make it to Wembley.

The seven-goal knockout spectacular came after Spurs slayed a meek Southampton 5-0 in their last Premier League game, a result that triggered the dismissal of ex-Saints boss Russell Martin.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their showdown with the Reds, who coincidentally edged out Southampton 2-1 to make the last four of the League Cup in midweek.

Timo Werner

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Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Illness

Possible return date: December 22 (vs. Liverpool)

Timo Werner did not take to the field in the EFL Cup quarter-finals, and Postecoglou revealed after the game that the RB Leipzig loanee had come down with an illness, but there is hope that he will return here.

Destiny Udogie

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Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Thigh

Possible return date: December 22 (vs. Liverpool)

Destiny Udogie suffered a thigh concern in the first half of the win over Southampton and subsequently missed Thursday's game, but Postecoglou said that the left-back was only "a bit sore" as opposed to being injured, so he should be OK to participate here.

Guglielmo Vicario

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: March 8 (vs. Bournemouth)

A penny for the thoughts of first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario when Fraser Forster gifted Man United two goals on Thursday, but the latter will keep guarding the sticks here, as the Italian will not be back from an ankle fracture for a few more months.

Cristian Romero

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Thigh

Possible return date: January 19 (vs. Everton)

There has still been no official word on the severity of Cristian Romero's thigh injury, which will reportedly sideline him for six weeks, but the Argentine will definitely not be available for Sunday's game.

Richarlison

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: January 4 (vs. Newcastle United)

Richarlison's own hamstring problem is also expected to render him unavailable until the start of January, but the Brazilian would not be starting over Dominic Solanke right now either way.

Micky van de Ven

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

Micky van de Ven suffered yet another hamstring issue against Chelsea earlier this month, and as is the case with fellow centre-back Romero, there is no word on when he might return.

Wilson Odobert

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

Wilson Odobert only just recovered from one hamstring injury before picking up an even more severe one, and the French winger is currently on the mend from surgery, meaning that he is out for the foreseeable future.

Mikey Moore

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Illness

Possible return date: Unknown

Mikey Moore was spotted watching on during Thursday's EFL Cup quarter-final as he continues to battle a severe illness, and even though he is now back in training, Postecoglou revealed on Friday that he still needs another couple of weeks to get back up to speed.

Ben Davies

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: December 29 (vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Ben Davies will sit out the Liverpool visit with the hamstring injury he sustained against Bournemouth, but his issue is not as bad as first feared, and he might be able to return just after Christmas.

TOTTENHAM'S SUSPENSION LIST

Rodrigo Bentancur

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Return date: December 26 (vs. Nottingham Forest)

Rodrigo Bentancur serves the seventh and final game of his lengthy suspension for his offensive comment towards Son Heung-min and South Koreans, meaning that the South American midfielder can make his domestic return on Boxing Day against Nottingham Forest.

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Still fighting for silverware on four fronts this season, Liverpool face a huge test of their Premier League title credentials away to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds entered the hat for the EFL Cup semi-final draw on Wednesday evening, conquering managerless Southampton 2-1 at St Mary's to keep their prospects of back-to-back triumphs alive.

The success on the South Coast came after Arne Slot's 10 men fought doggedly to hold Fulham to a 2-2 draw in Saturday's Premier League clash, but they are now only two points clear of Chelsea at the top of the standings, albeit with a game in hand.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Liverpool's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with Spurs, who take on Manchester United in the remaining EFL Cup quarter-final later on Thursday.

Ibrahima Konate

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: December 26 (vs. Leicester City)

Slot revealed in his pre-Southampton press conference that Ibrahima Konate - who sustained a knee injury against Real Madrid in the Champions League last month - was still not training with the team, so a comeback on Sunday is out of the question.

Conor Bradley

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: December 26 (vs. Leicester City)

Likewise, Conor Bradley is yet to return to full practice since hurting his hamstring in the same game, but there is still a chance that he could return for the showdown with Leicester City on Boxing Day.

LIVERPOOL'S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham Hotspur welcome Manchester United to North London for an EFL Cup quarter-final tie on Thursday night.

While Spurs cruised to an 5-0 Premier League victory over Southampton on Sunday, the Red Devils left it late to beat rivals Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium, and here, Sports Mole rounds up all of the latest team news for the two clubs.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs. MANCHESTER UNITED

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TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Rodrigo Bentancur (suspended), Guglielmo Vicario (ankle), Cristian Romero (hamstring), Micky van de Ven (hamstring), Richarlison (hamstring), Ben Davies (hamstring), Wilson Odobert (hamstring), Mikey Moore (illness)

Doubtful: Destiny Udogie (thigh)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Forster; Porro, Gray, Dragusin, Spence; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Johnson; Son

MANCHESTER UNITED

Out: Luke Shaw (hamstring), Mason Mount (leg)

Doubtful: Jonny Evans (unspecified), Noussair Mazraoui (knock)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Martinez; Dalot, Mainoo, Casemiro, Malacia; Diallo, Fernandes; Zirkzee

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match .

A place in the last four of the EFL Cup is up for grabs on Thursday night when Tottenham Hotspur welcome Manchester United to North London for a quarter-final showdown.

Both teams enter this contest on a high after picking up maximum points in the Premier League last weekend, with Spurs hitting five past Southampton and the Red Devils claiming the bragging rights over wounded rivals Manchester City.

Match preview

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Ange Postecoglou was coming under increased pressure in the Tottenham dugout following a disappointing run of just one win in eight games across all competitions (D3 L4) - a surprise 4-0 triumph at Man City in the Premier League.

However, the Spurs boss got a much-needed reaction from his players - albeit against a struggling Southampton outfit at the foot of the table - when they paid a visit to St Mary's on Sunday, with James Maddison (2), Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and Pape Matar Sarr all scoring first-half goals in an emphatic 5-0 victory - a result that ultimately proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Russell Martin.

Only high-flying Chelsea (37) have scored more top-flight goals than Tottenham (36) so far this season, and the North Londoners currently sit 10th in the table after 16 games, although they are only five points behind the top four.

Tricky encounters with leaders Liverpool and fourth-placed Nottingham Forest are on the horizon for Spurs, but they must first turn their attention to Thursday's EFL Cup clash with Man United as they endeavour to reach the semi-finals for the third time in five years.

Tottenham secured a 2-1 win over Man City in the fourth round of the EFL Cup at the end of October, and in order to come out on top against Man United, they must end their four-game winless run on home soil. Spurs have not suffered a longer run without a win in front of their owns fans since 2008, the same year they last won a major trophy (the EFL Cup).

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After suffering back-to-back Premier League defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, Man United have since bounced back under new head coach Ruben Amorim and have won their last two away games by a 2-1 scoreline against Viktoria Plzen and rivals Man City.

Three days on from claiming an important Europa League win over Plzen in Czechia, the Red Devils were seemingly on course to lose at the Etihad, but they produced a stunning late comeback, with Bruno Fernandes's 88th-minute penalty and Amad Diallo's majestic 90th-minute winner turning the contest on its head in dramatic fashion.

Although Man United are still languishing in 13th place in the Premier League table, there are just six points separating them from the top four and Amorim will hope that the "belief" shown by his players against Man City can be carried over into their upcoming fixtures.

Six-time EFL Cup winners Man United will now shift their focus to Thursday's trip to Spurs whom they have failed to beat in each of their last four meetings, most recently suffering a humbling 3-0 home defeat in the Premier League in September under former boss Erik ten Hag.

However, the Red Devils can be confident of success in North London as they have won each of their last six EFL Cup away ties by an aggregate score of 14-1 - beating Chelsea and Man City during this run - while they have already scored 12 goals across just two games in this year's competition - thumping Barnsley 7-0 and Leicester City 5-2 at Old Trafford.

Tottenham Hotspur EFL Cup form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Manchester United EFL Cup form:

Manchester United form (all competitions):

Team News

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Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur will serve the sixth of his seven-game suspension after the club's appeal over the length of his ban was rejected by the FA on Tuesday, while Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Ben Davies, Wilson Odobert (all hamstring), Guglielmo Vicario (ankle) and Mikey Moore (illness) all remain in the treatment room.

Destiny Udogie is doubtful with a thigh problem sustained against Southampton. Djed Spence impressed on his first competitive start for Spurs last time out - 884 days after joining the club - and the right-back could be forced to play on the opposite side of defence if Udogie is not fit to feature.

Yves Bissouma is available for selection after serving a one-match ban last time out, and the midfielder is in line for a recall, while Brennan Johnson could return at the expense of either Kulusevski or Dominic Solanke. Replacing the latter - who has scored just one goal in his last eight games - would likely see Son moved into the centre-forward spot.

As for Man United, they are sweating over the fitness of Mason Mount (leg) and Noussair Mazraoui (knock) who were forced off in Sunday's win over Man City in the Premier League. While Mount is expected to miss out, Mazraoui will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Luke Shaw remains in the treatment room as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury, while fellow defender Jonny Evans has missed Man United's last six games with an unspecified issue and remains a doubt.

Amorim has a big decision to make over whether to recall Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho to his matchday squad after they were both dropped last weekend. Both attackers are in contention to return, but a start is not guaranteed for either player.

Having regularly rotated his Red Devils team since arriving at the club, Amorim is expected to freshen up his first XI once again, with the likes of Leny Yoro, Tyrell Malacia, Casemiro, Antony and Joshua Zirkzee all pushing to start.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Forster; Porro, Gray, Dragusin, Spence; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Johnson; Son

Manchester United possible starting lineup:

Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Martinez; Dalot, Mainoo, Casemiro, Malacia; Diallo, Fernandes; Zirkzee

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Manchester United (Man Utd to win on penalties)

Tottenham cruised to victory in their last meeting with Man United three months ago, but given the unpredictability and inconsistency of Postecoglou's side, it is difficult to envisage Spurs having a similarly enjoyable evening again on Thursday.

Man United have been far from their best in recent weeks, despite winning their last two games, but they may just find a way to claim a share of the spoils in 90 minutes before edging through to the semi-finals on penalties.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Manchester United will be looking to book a place in the final four of the EFL Cup when they travel to North London to face Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals on Thursday night.

The Red Devils picked up arguably their best win of the Ruben Amorim era to date on the weekend, beating local rivals Manchester City at the Etihad.

The visitors were a goal behind heading into the final few minutes, however late strikes from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo allowed Man United to snatch maximum points from their noisy neighbours.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Man United's injury and suspension news ahead of their EFL Cup contest with Tottenham, who enjoyed a five-goal thumping of Southampton on Sunday night in the Premier League

Mason Mount

Status: Out

Type of injury: Leg

Possible return date: Unknown

After building up his fitness from a separate injury during the early stages of Amorim's reign, Mount was forced off in the first half against Manchester City due to a leg issue, with the former Chelsea man out for Thursday night.

Jonny Evans

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Unspecified

Possible return date: December 19 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur)

Evans has seemingly shaken off an unspecified injury but now faces a battle to earn his spot back in the matchday squad of head coach Amorim.

Luke Shaw

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

Shaw was looking to earn consistent minutes in the Man United side but the left-back has now picked up a hamstring problem and is set to be on the sidelines for several weeks.

Noussair Mazraoui

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Knock

Possible return date: December 19 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur)

Mazraoui played 78 minutes of the weekend's Manchester derby before making way for Amorim's attacking changes, however the Moroccan was seen spotted out of the Etihad.

MANCHESTER UNITED'S SUSPENSION LIST

Southampton have sacked manager Russell Martin following the club's 5-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday night.

The Saints conceded five first-half goals against Spurs at St Mary's and they were fortunate that the visitors did not punish them further in the second half.

Southampton ended the weekend last in 20th place with five points after 16 matchweeks and are already nine points from 17th-placed Leicester City.

The club announced on Sunday night on their website that they had sacked Martin, saying: "Going into the start of the season, we all knew the challenges that we would face this year as we readjusted to life in the top flight, competing in the best and most competitive league in the world.

"However, the reality of our situation is clear. The board have supported Russell and his staff and been open and transparent regarding our expectations. We have all been on the same page in recognising the urgency of needing results to improve.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank Russell and his staff for all the hard work and dedication they have given the club on and off the pitch over the last 18 months. Everyone connected with Southampton FC will always have fantastic memories of last season, especially the Play-Off Final win in May."

Southampton also announced that current Under-21s manager Simon Rusk will take charge of the team on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is appointed.

Deserved sacking?

Martin was praised by some for implementing possession-oriented style of play, with the team having averaged 53.2% possession so far in the Premier League, the eighth highest figure in the top flight.

Pep Guardiola even claimed earlier in October that he would "learn a lot" from coming up against the former Saints boss.

However, though Southampton's approach under Martin was no doubt brave, it would not be unfair to suggest that it was also naive considering the south coast club have conceded 36 goals in the top flight.

If they were to continue their current trajectory, the Saints would concede 85 times over the course of a 38 game season which would be the joint fifth worst record in Premier League history.

Perhaps Martin's brand of football would have succeeded with a more established top-flight team, but his expansive playstyle was always going to be risky, especially with a promoted side.

What next for Southampton?

Southampton are set host Liverpool on Wednesday in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, before taking on Fulham away from home in the Premier League four days later.

Rusk is almost certain to be in the dugout for both games, but it is vital that the Saints find a new permanent head coach quickly in order to give the new boss as many matches as possible.

Perhaps they could look to appoint a manager with proven experience in the Premier League such as Steve Cooper - who was sacked as boss of Leicester City in November - or Gary O'Neil, who was sacked on Sunday by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Whoever is chosen to take over as head coach, they will likely have to implement a more pragmatic playstyle given the Saints have made more errors leading to shots and more errors leading to goals than any other Premier League side this season.

This does not mean the club will have to completely abandon Martin's principle, but perhaps a more nuanced approach to matches will see Southampton pick up more points.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has insisted that Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho will be back in contention for next week's EFL Cup clash with Tottenham Hotspur if they apply themselves correctly in training in the build-up to the match.

Rashford and Garnacho were left out of the Man United squad for Sunday's Manchester derby against Manchester City, with Amorim confirming ahead of the match that the pair were not injured.

There had been talk of potential disciplinary issues involving both players, but Man United's head coach insisted that was not the case, and he said that "next week" is a "new life", with the pair in with a chance of returning for the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.

"It's important to say why: was not a disciplinary thing," Amorim said during his post-match press conference. "Next week, next game, new life, they are fighting for their places.

"But for me, it's important: the performance in training, the performance in game, the way you dress, the way you eat, the way you engage with teammates, the way you push your teammates, everything is important in our context in the beginning of something when when we want to change a lot of things.

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Rashford, Garnacho could return to Man United squad vs. Tottenham

"When people in our club are losing their jobs we have to put the standards really high and for that they have to fight for a place in the team. And today the team proved we can leave anyone out of the squad and manage to win if you play together.

"I'm going to say again was not a disciplinary thing. It's the small details. You can see the games like I see, there are some things that have to change.

"But it is a new life, it's not a disciplinary thing, it's the performance in training, the performance in game and I have to choose players. Jonny Evans did everything right, he was at home, and he is really important for us.

"If it was disciplinary, I would say that here and it will be a bigger problem but was not that. Sometimes I want to improve my players and you understand that for so long.

"We tried for example with Rash, it does not work. Let's continue to do the same thing or try something different? So it's as simple as that. If they train well with the talent they have we will be so much better with them.

"But they have to work hard, they do, today they trained really hard. New week, new life, let's see. You can dress in a way that I don't like, really don't like, but it's not a disciplinary thing. It's the small details. But the performance in training and games, then I have to choose. That's it. New week, new life. That's it."

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How did Man United perform without the duo against Man City?

Mason Mount and Amad Diallo were selected as the number 10s behind Rasmus Hojlund in the Manchester derby, but the former had to be replaced in the early stages of the contest due to an injury problem.

That led to Bruno Fernandes moving into the number 10 spot, with Kobbie Mainoo being introduced in midfield.

Amorim's side trailed to a Josko Gvardiol header at the Etihad Stadium, but Fernandes levelled the scores from the penalty spot in the 88th minute before Amad won it two minutes later with an excellent finish.

Antony and Joshua Zirkzee were the attacking options in reserve against Man City, and Amorim now has a major decision to make ahead of the Spurs match, as Rashford and Garnacho could be valuable options off the bench, but their involvement in that contest will depend on how they respond to the disappointment of being snubbed for the derby.

No Data Analysis info

Two struggling Premier League sides endeavour to atone for some recent disappointments at St Mary's on Sunday evening, when Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur lock horns.

Ange Postecoglou's team drew 1-1 with Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday, while their hosts were condemned to a 1-0 loss at Aston Villa last time out, and here Sports Mole rounds up the team news for both sides.

SOUTHAMPTON vs. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

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SOUTHAMPTON

Out: Cristian Romero (thigh), Micky van de Ven (thigh), Yves Bissouma (suspended), Rodrigo Bentancur (suspended), Wilson Odobert (hamstring), Mikey Moore (illness), Richarlison (hamstring), Ben Davies (hamstring), Guglielmo Vicario (ankle)

Doubtful: None

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Lumley; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Bednarek, Manning; Downes, Fernandes; Dibling; Armstrong, Onuachu

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Jack Stephens (suspended), Aaron Ramsdale (finger), Will Smallbone (thigh), Juan Larios (unspecified), Ross Stewart (calf), Gavin Bazunu (Achilles)

Doubtful: None

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Forster; Spence, Gray, Dragusin, Udogie; Kulusevski, Sarr, Bergvall; Johnson, Solanke, Son

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match .