da bwin： Southampton play hosts to Tottenham Hotspur and former manager Mauricio Pochettino on December 28th, looking to pick up their third win in their last four matches.
da fazobetai： Despite some disappointing results throughout the season, such as Hull City and Crystal Palace ending six-match losing runs with 2-1 and 3-0 wins against them respectively, Saints were in seventh position on Christmas Day – five places higher than under Ronald Koeman this time last year.
Of course, last season ended with a Premier League high sixth-placed finish and Europa League football, and following their disappointing exit from the competition this term, they will want another crack next year.
Meanwhile, Spurs have gone slightly under the radar after running Leicester City so close for the title in May and they are currently lying 10 points behind leaders Chelsea, with Pochettino’s men drawing more matches than the Argentine boss would have liked.
Here are three key battles that will decide where the game will be lost and won…
Jay Rodriguez vs Toby Alderweireld
Rodriguez has struggled to get back to his best form following the serious injury he suffered against Manchester City in 2014 and had scored just one Premier League goal this season – albeit with most of his appearances being from the substitutes bench – before a brace in the 3-1 win against Bournemouth last weekend.
As soon as he netted his first, you could see the confidence flooding back and he will be itching to get back out on the pitch against Spurs.
He will have a tough opponent but one he knows well when he comes up against former teammate Alderweireld, who is considered to be one of the best centre-backs in the English top flight.
Harry Kane vs Virgil van Dijk
Despite the fact Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino will want goals to come from all over the pitch, Kane is still the club’s main man when it comes to scoring.
However, he will face one of the most highly-rated centre-backs in the Premier League in Virgil van Dijk, who has been linked with a £50m move to Manchester City.
The Dutchman has been a colossus at the back for Saints. As well as being strong in the air and brilliant defensively, he is also able to bring the ball out from the back.
Christian Eriksen vs Oriol Romeu
The Danish midfielder is one of Spurs’ in-form players right now and he would have been one of the individuals Pochettino was demanding more of a goal threat from – especially when Harry Kane was absent through injury earlier in the campaign.
Eriksen has certainly answered his manager’s wishes, scoring five goals in his last five matches, and Saints midfielder Oriol Romeu, who should return to the starting XI after missing the win against Bournemouth through suspension, will have to watch the attacking midfielder closely at St Mary’s.