Ryan Mason will take charge of Tottenham for the first time against Southampton tonight.
The midfielder-turned-coach, aided by Chris Powell and Nigel Gibbs, will be tasked with lifting the mood - and the club’s Premier League position - for the visit of the FA Cup semi-finalists, ahead of Sunday’s daunting trip to Wembley to face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.
New manager bounce? Spurs could do with it, especially against a Saints side who look bereft of ideas themselves.
The match is also Tottenham’s first since they, along with the Premier League’s other ‘Big Six’ members, signed up and then quickly withdrew from a proposed European Super League after an enormous backlash.
There could be further protests in north London this evening.
Date, time and venue
Tottenham vs Southampton is scheduled for a 6pm BST kick-off tonight - Wednesday, April 21, 2021.
The match will be held behind closed doors at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
How to watch
TV channel: This evening’s match will be televised live on Sky Sports’ Main Event and Premier League channels, with coverage beginning at 5:30pm.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers will be able to watch the match online via the website or Sky Go app.
Team news
Spurs will be without Harry Kane as they begin life after Mourinho.
The England captain suffered an ankle injury in Mourinho's last game in charge at Everton and has not trained since, with interim head coach Mason unsure if he will be fit in time for Wembley.
Matt Doherty (muscle) is back in contention but Ben Davies (ankle) is still out.
Tottenham provisional squad: Lloris, Hart, Aurier, Doherty, Tanganga, Dier, Alderweireld, Rodon, Sanchez, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Winks, Sissoko, Ndombele, Alli, Lamela, Moura, Vinicius, Bale, Son.
Tottenham predicted XI: Lloris; Aurier, Alderweireld, Rodon, Reguilon; Hojbjerg, Ndombele; Bale, Dele, Lo Celso; Son.
Southampton can welcome back on-loan Liverpool winger Takumi Minamino, who was cup-tied for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final defeat by Leicester.
Striker Michael Obafemi has returned to training following the muscle injury which has ruled him out since January, but he is short of match fitness. Oriol Romeu (ankle) and William Smallbone (knee) remain long-term absentees.
Southampton provisional squad: Forster, Walker-Peters, Bertrand, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Ward-Prowse, Redmond, Armstrong, Diallo, Ings, Walcott, McCarthy, Stephens, Salisu, Djenepo, Minamino, Jankewitz, Adams, Tella, Ferry.
Prediction: Tottenham 2-1 Southampton
The hosts will be desperate to give Ryan Mason a winning start and get some momentum going ahead of the League Cup final and I expect them to have enough to beat Saints, even without Harry Kane.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
- Tottenham wins: 84
- Draws: 50
- Southampton wins: 64
Betting odds and tips (subject to change)
- Tottenham: 20/21
- Draw: Between 14/5 and 3/1
- Southampton: 100/30
- Heung-min Son to score two or more: 11/2
