REPORT: Southampton 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

By SFC Media time Sat 19 Dec Club

Late first half goals from Harry Kane and Dele Alli saw Tottenham take all three points at St Mary’s with a 2-0 win.

The visitors struck both goals inside the last five minutes of the opening 45 as Spurs put themselves in control of a game which up until that point they had been second best in. 

Kane grabbed the first on 40 minutes when he punished Saints with a strong run forward where he saw off two challenges and beat Virgil van Dijk to the ball before calmly stroking the ball beyond Gazzaniga for 1-0.

The damage was complete three minutes later when fellow England man Alli was unmarked at the far post to turn in Kyle Walker’s cross from close range.

In the second half Saints introduced Shane Long and Juanmi to try and rescue the game, but found a goalkeeper in good form, as Spurs’ Hugo Lloris kept the hosts at bay to extend Southampton’s winless run over Spurs to seven matches.

There were three changes to the team that started in the defeat to Crystal Palace with Jordy Clasie, Dušan Tadić and Graziano Pellè all coming back into the side.

The visitors got the game under way with Alli and Kane attacking the Chapel stand for Spurs in their changed strip of light and navy blue.

And it was a high energy start to the game as the hosts quelled the pressing game of Pochettino’s side with a spirited opening of their own.

Saints created a great chance to open the scoring on eight minutes when Dušan Tadić picked out Sadio Mané who shot towards the bottom corner, but an incredible low save to his right by Hugo Lloris denied the forward from finding the back of the net.

Ronald Koeman’s men were in control of possession as the match became more of a battle in midfield, with the visitors still unable to find their usual rhythm. 

Dele Alli fired wide in the 28th minute, before former Saints defender Toby Alderweireld headed over the bar from Kyle Walker’s cross back into the area from the far side.

Kane fired a warning on 36 when he was put through on goal by Christian Eriksen to warm the hands of Paulo Gazzaniga from ten yards out.

But four minutes later, Kane would go one better after a series of missed tackles and a miscue from van Dijk which saw the striker bear down on goal and curl a right-footed finish past Gazzaniga for 1-0.

The goal stunned Saints, and they were undone again two minutes before the break when Walker was afforded too much time down the right to then cross the ball to the far post where an unmarked Alli was able to find a finish inside the near post from a couple of yards out.

There were no changes to either team at half-time, with Saints giving a good reaction to their two-goal deficit as they took the game to Spurs again in the opening exchanges.

A neat move on 54 saw Mané link up with Clasie, and the Senegalese then worked the ball into Pellè, whose high shot was plucked out of the air by Lloris with an impressive reach.

Pellè then headed a cross wide from Cédric’s delivery, with Spurs able to protect their lead, which prompted Koeman into a double substitution just past the hour mark.

Both Steven Davis and Tadić departed, making way for Shane Long, and Juanmi, respectively as Saints sought a way back into the game on the counter-attack.

Again though, Spurs were able to match the hosts, and in the final ten minutes had a chance to increase their lead when Érik Lamela robbed Saints’ third substitution Ward-Prowse of the ball before playing in Tom Carroll for a low shot at goal that Gazzaniga saved. 

Ward-Prowse saw a late chance in stoppage time pushed around the post by Loris who protected his clean sheet with a solid performance for the visitors who claimed all three points once again at St Mary’s.

Southampton team (4-2-3-1): Paulo Gazzaniga; Cédric, José Fonte (c), Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Bertrand; Victor Wanyama, Jordy Clasie (James Ward-Prowse 78); Steven Davis (Shane Long 64), Sadio Mané, Dušan Tadić (Juanmi 64), Graziano Pellè. Unused substitutes: Kelvin Davis (GK), Maya Yoshida, Oriol Romeu, Matt Targett

Booked: Fonte

Tottenham team (4-2-3-1): Hugo Lloris (c); Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Ben Davies; Eric Dier, Mousa Dembélé; Érik Lamela, Dele Alli (Tom Carroll 78), Christian Eriksen (Nacer Chadli 86); Harry Kane (Son Heung-Min 90). Unused substitutes: Michel Vorm (GK), Nabil Bentaleb, Kevin Wimmer, Harry Winks

Booked: Alli (72)

Goals: Kane (40), Alli (43)

Referee: Kevin Friend

Attendance: 31,636 (including 3,199 away)


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