Mon 27 December 2021, 21:00
Tottenham HotspurOur festive fixtures continue at pace on Tuesday as, just 48 hours after dispatching Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, we are immediately back in action with a trip to Southampton (3pm kick-off).
Ahead of our final match of 2021, here’s a look at all of the game’s key points of note…
1 - Back on the road
After five home games in the Premier League on the trot, this will be our first away match in over seven weeks. Having last travelled in the competition on 7 November, as we drew 0-0 with Everton at Goodison Park, a series of postponements has seen us play Leeds, Brentford, Norwich, Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since, all without an away fixture breaking up that run. It is the longest gap in Premier League history (excluding the Coronavirus-enforced suspension of the 2019/20 season) any side has had between away games in a single campaign in the competition.
2 - History for Conte
Antonio Conte will make Spurs history on Tuesday if we avoid defeat against Southampton. Having gone six games undefeated in the Premier League since his arrival at the start of November, joining Jacques Santini and Tim Sherwood as the only Spurs managers to do so in the competition, Antonio could go a step further and become our first manager to go unbeaten in their first seven Premier League games if we come away with a positive result at St Mary’s.
3 - Final game of the year
Our trip to the south coast will mark our final game of 2021 – and we have quite the record when it comes to our final league games of a calendar year. In the last 12 years, we have lost just one of our final league games, having won seven and drawn four. And, despite having failed to win any of our last three such fixtures, both of our latest victories in games coming at the end of a calendar year have been against Southampton (4-1 in 2016 and 5-2 in 2017).
The Saints, meanwhile, haven’t won their final league game in any of the last 10 calendar years. The last time they took all three points in such a fixture was in 2010 when they were a League One side, running out 4-1 winners against Huddersfield Town.
4 - Dominance over Saints
Since Southampton returned to the Premier League in 2012, against no side have they lost more games in the competition than us. Having been promoted from the Championship at the end of the 2011/12 season, they have faced us 18 times with us coming out on top 13 times (D2 L3). In that time, they have won just two of our encounters at St Mary’s, drawing twice and losing five times.
5 - Last time out at St Mary’s
On our last visit to Southampton’s home, we cantered to a 5-2 win thanks to the creativity of Harry Kane and the finishing of Heung-Min Son. Having fallen behind to Danny Ings’ 32nd-minute strike, four goals from Sonny – his most in a Premier League game and all assisted by Harry – put us in complete control at St Mary’s. Harry then added a fifth for us with eight minutes remaining before Ings grabbed his and the Saints’ second from the penalty spot in injury time.
6 - Harry hitting home
That victory at Southampton was of course an exceptional day for Harry Kane as he found the target as well as providing four assists, however the striker’s record against the Saints goes much further than that 5-2 win. In 11 starts against them in the Premier League, Harry has been involved in 16 goals (10 scored, six assists). Only against Leicester (17 – 15 goals, two assists) has the forward been involved in more goals.
7 - Sonny’s Saints strikes
Like Harry, Heung-Min Son has quite the record against Southampton. Having faced the Saints 11 times so far in his Premier League career, Sonny has been involved in 12 goals (nine goals, three assists). Against no side has he scored or been involved in more goals in the competition.
8 - Goals expected
When we meet Southampton in the Premier League, clean sheets are usually a rarity. In the last 11 meetings between the two sides, both teams have scored on 10 occasions. Only in our January, 2020, trip to St Mary’s has there been a shutout in that stretch with the Saints running out 1-0 winners.
9 - Saints’ home record
While we enjoyed a comprehensive victory last time out at St Mary’s, this year, Southampton are enjoying a solid run of form. Having played eight home games so far this season, the Saints have lost just once, winning twice and drawing five times. In their last five games, they are unbeaten at home having won twice and drawn three times. They last enjoyed a longer unbeaten home run between March and October, 2016, when they went nine games in the competition without defeat.
10 - Conte dominant against the Saints
Antonio Conte has won all of his Premier League meetings with Southampton to date. Having faced the Saints four times, all coming during his spell with Chelsea, Antonio picked up all three points in each of those encounters. This, however, will be his first meeting with Ralph Hasenhuttl.
