Tottenham Hotspur vs. Southampton: Match Preview, Projected Lineups & Predictions

A new task. Tottenham Hotspur saw their title run end on Monday in a heartbreaking draw against Chelsea. The draw was costly for Spurs' roster as well, as Mousa Dembele's eye gouging incident has led to a six game ban that will roll over to next season. Spurs cannot let up though, as Arsenal are now just three points behind Spurs with two games left a piece, as Tottenham tries to finish above their rivals for the first time in 20 years. Mauricio Pochettino will have to rally his men to finish the season strong after the letdown of last week.

Spurs host a Southampton side that sits in 7th place on 57 points. The Saints are having another strong season this year under Manager Ronald Koeman, as he has built another tough attacking side. Shane Long, Sadio Mane, Dusan Tadic, and Graziano Pelle have combined for 37 league goals, while Victory Wanyama and Steven Davis create from midfield. Jose Fonte and Virgil van Dijk have formed a formidable defensive duo in front of goalkeeper Fraser Forster, so the challenge will be on for Spurs to score while missing two of their key creators.

Can Spurs rebound and keep fighting for their second place finish? We shall see.

How to Watch

Date/time: Sunday, May 8, 2016, 1:30 p.m. (UK), 8:30 a.m. ET (USA)
Venue: White Hart Lane, London, UK
Official: Jonathan Moss
TV: NBC Sports Network (USA), Sky Sports 1 (UK), Sportsnet (Canada), Fox Sports 4 (Australia), other listings at livesoccertv.com
Streaming: NBC Sports Live Extra (USA)
Radio: Audio streamed at tottenhamhotspur.com, also BBC Radio London and TalkSport

Projected Lineup

Thinner. Spurs have holes to fill now due to the violent conduct committed by Dele Alli and Mousa Dembele, as both will miss the game with their respective suspensions. The team is otherwise healthy though, as Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose have apparently recovered from injuries suffered against Chelsea. To fill the absences, we expect Son Heung-Min to again start in attacking midfield, while Ryan Mason comes in at center midfield to pair with Eric Dier. It may not be a shock to see a fullback get rotated with the league title now decided.

Prediction League

As for the Prediction League, neither Mechanick or Matthew foresaw Spurs drawing Chelsea, so things remain tight at the top with just two games remaining. The rules remain the same in the Prediction League -- one point for a correct prediction and a bonus point for getting the score correct. Here are the current standings:

Dustin Menno: It wouldn’t be Spurs if there weren’t at least a LITTLE end-of-season drama. 0-0 Draw

Skipjack: TBD

Ben Daniels: Arsenal closes the gap as everything becomes terrible as hell. 2-1 Soton

55thVin: 2-1 Spurs because Ryan Mason doesn't deserve to lose his last home game before every mid-table team tries to buy him this summer.

Luke Zimmerman: 1-1 Draw. *nothingmatters.gif*

Earl of Shoop: "Don't give up on believing" is I think a song title, and sums up how I feel about this team. Sure, the title's gone, but we still have the chance to finish above that team from Woolwich for the first time in forever. This is the match where we lock that up, dominating Southampton from start to finish except that one time we fall asleep on a corner. A changed-lineup Spurs cruise to a 3-1 victory - "Now with 80% fewer eye gouges and stomach punches!" 3-1 Spurs

Matt Pachniuk: 2-0 Spurs. The drama is in our heads!  The squad is young, but experienced in the back.  I trust in Hugo, Toby, Jan, Danny, & Kyle Walker to lock it up & lead.  Dier is still in the lineup too and, if I can remember correctly, he's been half decent this term. Harry and Christian nab a goal each. The team leaves everything on the pitch, clinch 2nd place, and CL Group stages. Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur.

Jake Meador: 1-1 Draw. Mane finally finishes one of the many great scoring chances he seems to always get (and squander) against Spurs. Are we also taking bets on how high Mason's presence will push the collective blood pressure of CFC writers?

GN Punk: Time to lock up second place and put this thing to bed. Spurs come out fired up and press Southampton into oblivion. Spurs 3-1

Brian Mechanick: I am very, very nervous about this game. Ryan Mason does not excite, and this team may struggle with a Southampton team in fine form. 1-1 Draw

Ed F.: 2-0 Spurs

Bryan Ashlock: TBD