Spurs Struggle to Spark Against Bottom-Side Saints
So here we are, deep into the Premier League season, and today we witnessed what should have been a straightforward fixture for Tottenham Hotspur as they hosted bottom-of-the-table Southampton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But if you're expecting fireworks, you might want to look elsewhere — this one ended up more like a damp sparkler on a rainy day.
Tottenham, currently sitting 14th in the table with 35 points, welcomed Southampton, who are in a dire 20th place with just 11 points to their name. On paper, this was a mismatch. The Saints have been leaking goals all season, conceding a brutal 71 in just 31 games, while Spurs—though inconsistent—have managed 55 goals and shown glimpses of attacking brilliance.
Ange Postecoglou lined up his men in a familiar 4-3-3 formation, with Son Heung-Min captaining the side and leading the front line alongside Solanke and Brennan Johnson. James Maddison, Bentancur, and young Bergvall held down the midfield, while Vicario started in goal behind a back four of Spence, Romero, Davies, and Porro.
Southampton, meanwhile, set up in a 4-2-3-1 under Ivan Juric, with Arsenal loanee Aaron Ramsdale in goal and a defensive setup looking to frustrate and disrupt. They were compact, disciplined, and, surprisingly, successful at doing just that—for the most part.
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Despite what should’ve been a dominant display from Spurs, the opening exchanges were oddly quiet. In fact, the entire first half was almost a non-event. Tottenham dominated possession with a staggering 92.5%, yet managed just a single shot in the first 45 minutes—and not one on target. That’s right, with all the ball and attacking power they had, they couldn't muster anything meaningful in front of goal.
Southampton? They barely touched the ball. Just 3 completed passes in the opening moments told the story of their approach—defend deep and hope for a rare counter or set-piece chance.
And while Tottenham had a few moments of promise, including touches inside the box and some decent movement from Son and Maddison, nothing came to fruition. Southampton didn’t even manage a shot, blocked or otherwise.
From a statistical standpoint, this was one of the most one-sided halves in terms of possession you’ll ever see without a goal. Yet, somehow, it never felt like Spurs had total control. Their xG was barely above 0.07, and the Saints' defensive wall refused to crumble.
Now, zooming out a bit—Tottenham have now won just one of their last 10 home Premier League matches, and that’s becoming a real problem. The earlier reverse fixture back in December saw them smash five past Southampton, all in the first half. But today? No such firepower. It just shows how quickly momentum can fade and how even the most promising attacks can stall when confidence is low.
Southampton, for all their struggles, will take this. A point away at Spurs, a clean sheet, and something to build on—even if survival seems almost impossible now. With just 11 points and a -49 goal difference, they’ll need a miracle. But today, they played like a team refusing to roll over.
In short, Tottenham had the ball, the talent, and the home crowd—but none of the cutting edge. Southampton had none of the ball, but all of the heart. Football, eh? Always got a twist in the tale.
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