"I would not be surprised" - Chris Sutton predicts winner of Southampton vs Tottenham
Former Celtic and Chelsea forward Chris Sutton recently revealed his prediction for the Premier League clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday, March 18. The pundit backed Antonio Conte's men to come out on top with a 2-0 victory away from home.
Southampton have endured a difficult run in recent weeks, winning only one of their last five games across all competitions. Their record at home is also a matter of concern ahead of their game against Tottenham.
The Saints have picked up just nine points in their 13 games at home in the league so far this season, compared to the 13 they've gathered from 14 games away from home.
With the bottom-ranked side set to host Tottenham at the Saint Mary's Stadium this weekend, Chris Sutton is worried about the unimpressive record at home.
"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," the Englishman wrote for the BBC.
"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."
Sutton went on to stress that Antonio Conte needs to sort out his future at White Hart Lane. The Englishman also highlighted Tottenham's inconsistency in recent weeks but tipped them to earn the three points with Harry Kane possibly getting on the scoresheet.
"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," he continued.
"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," the former Celtic star added.
Where Tottenham and Southampton rank in the Premier League table right now
As it stands, Tottenham occupy the fourth position in the table with 48 points from 27 games. Antonio Conte's men have recorded 15 wins, three draws and nine defeats to their name in the English top flight so far, scoring 49 goals and conceding 37.
Southampton, meanwhile, are currently sitting at the bottom of the table after entering the season on a terrible note. So far, they've garnered just 22 points from 27 games, having recorded just six wins, seven draws and 17 defeats to their name.
The Saints are indeed in a fragile situation at the moment, with just 11 games to the end of the campaign. They'll need to improve their performances drastically in the coming weeks to avoid relegation. It remains to be seen if they can start the turnaround with the game against Tottenham this weekend.