Will the Spurs slip up again?

Before the season, Tottenham coach Ante Postecoglou made a grandiose announcement that he usually wins a title in his second year with a club. However, he could not have meant the national championship. Ahead of the Southampton v Tottenham game, in which the odds clearly favor the visitors, the gap between league leaders Liverpool and the chasing pack is already 15 points. The “Spurs” are also already seven points away from the top four.

The reason for this is quickly found. While the north Londoners are often able to beat strong opponents – in particular Manchester City – the team around superstar Heung-Min Son slips up against the stragglers with impressive regularity. Since the end of October, Postecoglou’s team has lost to Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town and Bournemouth and could not beat Fulham other than a 1:1 draw. This means that the underdog has the chance to take a point against Tottenham at Southampton, contrary to all predictions. With the Interwetten bonus, your own deposit for this bet will even be increased by up to 100 euros.

The promoted team would also need this point badly. With just one win and two draws from 15 games, the “Saints” are at the bottom of the table. The first non-relegation place is eight points away. Staying up already seems out of reach. However, this does not necessarily have to be a disadvantage for the encounter with the “Spurs”. After all, both Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town celebrated their first (and in the case of Ipswich also the only) victory of the season against the North Londoners. Cynics would claim that Tottenham is a welcome opponent.

Southampton – Statistics & current form

After the “Saints” celebrated their return to the English top flight by winning the play-off final against Leeds United in the previous season, the resulting euphoria has now given way to disappointment. With twelve defeats from 15 games and a meager haul of just five points, Southampton is on course to be relegated directly back to the Championship.

Russell’s last chance?

The extremely popular fan song of the southern English “When the Saints go marching in” has its origins in the church and suggests the hope of the faithful to enter heaven on Judgment Day. Hopefully, the 38-year-old coach of the bottom-placed team is still far from his day of judgment, but an important decision about his future could still be made soon.

The “Saints” are currently still publicly backing their coach and, as the English media have reported, have given him a job guarantee at least until the clash between Southampton and Tottenham, in which the betting odds do not favor the hosts. However, discontent has been growing among the supporters of the bottom-placed team for some time. A defeat against “Spurs” could mean the end of Martin’s term of office.

Not adaptable

The main criticism of the 38-year-old Scot’s style of play is that it has not been adapted to the new demands of the Premier League. In the House of Commons, Russell’s possession-oriented football still brought success and ultimately promotion, but in the English elite league, the quality of the squad is not good enough to continue with almost no adaptation.

The idea of not switching to a style of play that is typical for a promoted team, which is based on a solid defense, but instead wanting to continue to play the game, has not worked at all so far. Instead of creating many chances for themselves, hair-raising mistakes in building attacks lead to numerous goals against. It is not for nothing that the promoted team has the second-worst defense in the league.

It is therefore logical that the betting providers are expecting a goal fest at St. Mary’s Stadium this weekend. However, the odds offered on under 3.5 goals are so high that it is worth betting against them. It is quite possible that Russel Martin will take a more defensive approach in his last chance game and that his players will once again work hard for him. Therefore, under 3.5 goals is an attractive option for Southampton v Tottenham. The odds for “both score – no” would be even higher, at 3.00 at Bet365, and is an alternative worth considering.

Tottenham – statistics & current form

In North London, the 2024/25 season is not going according to plan either. Although the “Spurs” are still in all cup competitions and will spend the winter in the Europa League, in the league Postecoglou’s charges are marking time. With only 20 points, the “Big Six Club” occupies a disappointing eleventh place and is far from the top.

Numerous absences

One reason for the lack of success is that the 59-year-old Australian has to do without some important players. Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both returned to the Spurs’ central defense in the 3-4 defeat against Chelsea, only to be replaced with fresh injuries. Both will be out for at least a few weeks, which has prompted the sporting management to look to the transfer market in January to add depth to the defense. However, reinforcements will not be able to join Postecoglou’s team until next month.

In addition to the central defense, another problem is arising before the Southampton v Tottenham match, in which the forecasts see the guests as having an advantage. Besides Rodrigo Bentancur, who was suspended for seven games for making racist comments to teammate Heung-Min Son, Bissouma, the second defensive midfielder, is out due to a suspension. The most likely replacement is the highly talented but inexperienced Archie Gray. The 18-year-old, who has mostly played in defense so far, could start in defensive midfield against the “Saints” for the first time.

Southampton – Tottenham Direct comparison / H2H record

In the direct comparison, the North Londoners are ahead. Of 133 meetings, the “Spurs” have won 60. The team from the south of England won 40 times and 33 games ended in a draw. If you take a look at the more recent past, it is noticeable that the capital city team have had a hard time at St. Mary’s. They have only won one of their last six away games at Southampton.

Southampton – Tottenham Tip

At Southampton vs. Tottenham, the odds of the betting providers make it seem as if an away win for the “Spurs” at the bottom of the table is inevitable. However, this ignores the fact that Ante Postecoglou’s team often struggle against stragglers. Therefore, a bet on “1/X” is recommended.

In addition, a tip on the goals looks promising for Southampton v Tottenham. The bookmakers are offering high odds for “under 3.5” and “both score – no”. It could therefore be well worth mentioning this.