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Jose Mourinho won’t be in the dugout when Tottenham take on Southampton. The Portuguese head coach was sacked by Spurs, with the team falling down the table. Caretaker boss, Ryan Mason, will be in charge of the team when they face Southampton in the league.
It has been an eventful 24 hour period for Tottenham. The London side initially announced that they had accepted the invitation to play in the European Super League before later announcing the sacking of the Portuguese.
Spurs have fallen to seventh on the league table and are facing the prospect of not qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season – a competition that they have since devalued along with 11 other clubs. Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped them from getting rid of their manager and giving the reins of the first team to former player Ryan Mason. Tottenham also take on Manchester City in the EFL Cup Final on April 25, three days after their tie against Southampton.
Nevertheless, the Saints are up first for Spurs, who will look to get back on track as quickly as possible. Both teams are in a difficult spot at the moment. While Spurs have not won any of their last three league matches, Southampton have won only one of their last four. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side is 14th on the table, despite looking secure in a top half position earlier this season. Their season has taken a turn for the worse since then and they were most recently humiliated 3-0 by relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion.
Southampton’s run in 2021 is the worst out of any Premier League side. The Saints have accumulated just ten points from 15 matches, which is fewer than any other side in the competition. They have also lost eleven matches during this time while winning just three. Tottenham thrashed Hasenhuttl’s side 5-2 when they met earlier in the season. Son Heung-min scored four times that day while Harry Kane netted the fifth. Danny Ings scored twice for the home team that day.
There’s not much to be gained for either side from this match. Spurs will move up to sixth if they win this one, and results elsewhere go their way. Saints, on the other hand, can only displace Crystal Palace in 13th if they secure all three points.
Key Players
While the jury remains out on Mourinho’s time at Spurs, he did get the best out of Harry Kane. The Englishman is enjoying a prolific season in front of the goal and is currently the league’s top scorer with 21. He has netted 31 times in all competitions and has also provided 16 assists. His 13 assists in the league also make him the best provider. Four of those 13 assists came in the reverse fixture against Southampton.
Son Heung-min was unplayable when the two sides met earlier in the season. He constantly exploited Southampton’s high defensive line to run in behind and score goals. He scored four times that night, as Spurs condemned Saints to a heavy defeat. Son is returning from an injury and is yet to hit the same heights as he did earlier in the season. However, he could benefit from a new manager bounce, with Spurs free of Mourinho’s pragmatic approach.
Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse has been one of the most consistent players for his side. A constant in the Saints midfield, the England international has scored seven goals in the league and provided five assists. Ward-Prowse will go directly against his former midfield partner, Pierre Emile Hojbjerg when the two sides face each other, and the winner of their battle could well help his side win the match.
England international Danny Ings has been Southampton’s key man in attack, when he has managed to stay fit. The Saints have missed their star forward for large parts of the season, but he will be available for their match against Spurs. Ings has scored nine times this season and will be looking to add to his tally in a battle of England forwards.
Prediction
Southampton are in a rut. Hasenhuttl’s team might not get drawn into a relegation battle this year, but they are not too far away from the danger zone. In Spurs, they will go up against a team that is facing a similar crisis but has acted accordingly by firing their manager.
Tottenham are the overwhelming favourites going into the match. The London outfit has a better recent head-to-head record against this particular opposition, and they have the squad to win comfortably. Kane, especially, has been in fine form and leads the league in both goals and assists. Furthermore, Spurs could have a new manager bounce to bank upon, with former player Ryan Mason set to take the reins of the team, on an interim basis.
