Tottenham vs Southampton Match Preview: Classic Encounter, Key Battle, Team News & More

Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton square off for their Premier League Boxing Day clash on Tuesday. 

The Saints are in a rotten run of form of late and have failed to win in their last six league matches. They now find themselves just three points above the relegation places. 

Meanwhile, Tottenham will keep pushing to find their place back in the top four after resoundingly defeating Burnley 3-0 in their last match thanks to a Harry Kane hat-trick.

Here's how both teams are shaping up heading into Boxing Day...

Classic Encounter

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This is a fixture which favours Tottenham. Spurs have won eight of their last ten meetings with the Saints. It's also a match which is sure to excite fans, with more than two goals being scored in the last three meetings. Tottenham put on a memorable classic for the fans in a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Saints in March 2014. 

Away from home, Southampton found themselves 2-0 up in the first half thanks to goals from Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez. Christian Eriksen quickly replied for Tottenham to half their deficit just three minutes after Southampton's second. 

Eriksen found a second early in the second half with a close range effort to help Tottenham draw level. The match looked destined for a draw until substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson come off the bench to strike a long-distance effort which would complete Tottenham's comeback in the 92nd minute.

Key Battle

Harry Kane vs Southampton's Defence

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Southampton's defenders will face a Harry Kane determined to break a new Premier League record in their Boxing Day match. After his hat-trick against Burnley in Spurs' last match, Kane now has 36 Premier League goals this calendar year to level Alan Shearer's record he set in 1995. 

Kane will only need one goal to break Shearer's record and only has the one game to do it in. Southampton's defenders will try all they can to keep the England striker out, but Kane will be desperate to get his record breaking goal on Tuesday. 

Southampton's job will be made even harder by the fact that they will be missing some key players in defence on Boxing Day through injury. Being in good goalscoring form, it seems that destiny awaits for Kane on Tuesday. 

Team News

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Toby Alderweireld and Victor Wanyama remain Tottenham's only two long-term injury concerns. Wanyama is close to a return from his knee injury, but Alderweireld will not be expected to return until February from his thigh problem.

Harry Winks is a doubt for Boxing Day as he faces a late fitness test after suffering an ankle injury. Manager Mauricio Pochettino could opt to rotate his squad during this busy schedule with Erik Lamela, Moussa Dembele, Danny Rose, and Kieran Trippier all likely to come into the starting lineup. 

Southampton will be without top scorer Charlie Austin after the striker picked up a thigh injury in the Saints' last match against Huddersfield. Cedric Soares will be unavailable due to an ankle injury. Fellow full-back Ryan Bertrand will also miss out due to a thigh injury but is likely to return in the new year. 

Potential Tottenham Starting Lineup: Lloris; Trippier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Rose; Dier, Dembele, Lamela, Alli, Eriksen; Kane

Potential Southampton Starting Lineup: Forster; Stephens, van Dijk, Yoshida, Targett; Davis, Romeu, Boufal, Tadic, Redmond; Gabbiadini  

Prediction

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All signs point to a Tottenham win for this Boxing Day clash. Tottenham have a good record against Southampton and this season they have won five of their last six home matches. 

Meanwhile, Southampton have failed to win in any of their last six away games. Key absences for the Saints in Bertrand and Austin, as well as the speculation surrounding Virgil van Dijk's departure looming, Southampton may already be looking to the new year to try and find some fresh recruits in the transfer window. 

While Spurs may not yet be back to their very best, they look destined to continue to find their winning form on Tuesday. 

Prediction: Tottenham 2-0 Southampton