Chris Sutton has predicted that Tottenham Hotspur will simply overpower Southampton, just as they did Nottingham Forest a week ago, to tighten their grip on a fourth spot.
The picture regarding the top four race appears to be changing almost every week and it has the potential to be turned on its head once again this time out.
Until this point, it seemed as though the likes of Spurs, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Brighton were fighting for fourth position but Man Utd now look like they could get sucked into the race for Champions League qualification.
In fact, a win for Antonio Conte’s men at St Mary’s will see them leapfrog the Red Devils into third place, although the Lilywhites would have played two games more.
Given the Saints’ recent struggles, Sutton believes that Tottenham will not have any trouble emerging with all three points from the South Coast, with the pundit backing Harry Kane to deliver the goods once again.
He told BBC Sport: “I had my ‘worryometer’ out on the Monday Night Club and I am really worried about Southampton, and not just because they don’t score many goals.
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“Before Saints lost at home to Brentford on Wednesday, seven out of their 12 remaining games were at St Mary’s Stadium.
“It’s now six out of 11, which would usually be good news for a struggling side, but not for Ruben Selles’ side – they have picked up more points on the road [13 from 14 games] than they have at home [nine from 13] this season.
“I also said on the Monday Night Club that Antonio Conte needs to sort out his future and let Spurs know if he won’t be there next season.
“We have all seen how patchy his side have become this season, especially since the World Cup, where they go on little runs of wins or defeats.
“They overpowered Nottingham Forest last week and it feels like it might be the same story here.
“Harry Kane always enjoys playing Southampton – he has scored 11 goals and made eight assists against them for Spurs in 15 games – and I would not be surprised to see him get on the scoresheet again.”
Sutton’s prediction: Saints 0-2 Tottenham
Spurs Web Opinion
It has been demonstrated time and again this season that all 20 teams are capable of beating each other on the day.
So, the fact that Saints are bottom of the table certainly does not mean that Saturday’s game is going to be straightforward for Spurs, particularly given our recent struggles away from home.
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