MX23RW : Friday, January 3 12:03:46| >> :600:255720:255720:
Jan 1, 2020 at 3pm UK at ​St Mary's Stadium
Attendance: 30,976
Southampton
1-0
SpursTottenham Hotspur
Ings (17')
FT(HT: 1-0)

How Tottenham Hotspur could line up against Southampton

Sports Mole looks at how Tottenham Hotspur could line up for the New Year's Day meeting with Southampton as Jose Mourinho welcomes two players back from suspension.

Tottenham Hotspur get 2020 underway with a trip to face Southampton at St Mary's on New Year's Day as they look to close the gap on the Champions League places.

A 2-2 draw with Norwich City in their final match of 2019 left them five points adrift of the top four, and that gap could grow before they kick off with Chelsea in action earlier in the day.

Tottenham have not lost their opening league game of a calendar year since 2009, though, and have won more games against Southampton since the Saints were promoted back to the top flight in 2012 than they have against any other team.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Jose Mourinho could set his side up for the contest.



Possible TOT XI vs. SOU

Out: Son Heung-min (suspended), Hugo Lloris (elbow), Danny Rose (muscle), Ben Davies (ankle)
Doubtful: None

> Click here for Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of this match

Spurs are able to welcome Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks back from suspension for this match, with both midfielders serving one-game bans last time out for picking up five yellow cards over the first half of the season.

Tanguy Ndombele is now back available and could keep hold of his place in midfield despite the returning duo, though, with Sissoko generally the man preferred so far this season.

Son Heung-min remains banned as he serves the final game of his three-match suspension for kicking out at Antonio Rudiger, while Danny Rose has joined long-term absentees Hugo Lloris and Ben Davies in the treatment room.

Mourinho could revert back to a defensive four rather than the three at the back which he utilised against Norwich, with Davinson Sanchez and Lucas Moura among the players pushing for recalls after being rested.

Drastic rotation is not expected with Sunday's FA Cup tie against Middlesbrough a seemingly better opportunity for that, meaning that Harry Kane is expected to lead the line once again.

The England captain is behind Southampton's Danny Ings in the Premier League scoring stakes this season but does boast a fearsome record on New Year's Day having netted five times in his last three such appearances - a joint-Premier League record alongside Andy Cole and Steven Gerrard.

Kane has also scored in six consecutive Premier League appearances against Southampton, and should he find the back of the net again on Thursday then only Robin van Persie (eight versus Stoke City) would have had a longer scoring streak against a particular opponent in the competition.

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Who will win the Premier League clash between Southampton and Tottenham on New Year's Day?

Southampton
Draw
Tottenham
Southampton
0.0%
Draw
0.0%
Tottenham
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool20191049143558
2Leicester CityLeicester21143446192745
3Manchester CityMan City21142556243244
4Chelsea2111373629736
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd218763225731
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs218673630630
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves217953027330
8Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd217862321229
9Crystal Palace217771923-428
10Arsenal216962830-227
11Everton2174102432-825
12Southampton2174102538-1325
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2174102033-1325
14Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton216692529-424
15Burnley2173112434-1024
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham2064102532-722
17Aston Villa2163122737-1021
18Bournemouth2155112032-1220
19Watford2147101734-1719
20Norwich CityNorwich2135132241-1914

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