Sports Mole

Southampton's latest stint in Premier League football could officially come to an end if the Saints fall short in Sunday's showdown with Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

The visitors are 19 points shy of safety with 24 left to play for, while their hosts occupy a humiliating 14th place in the Premier League table, and here Sports Mole rounds up the team news for the two clubs.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs. SOUTHAMPTON

© Imago

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Radu Dragusin (ACL), Dejan Kulusevski (foot), Kevin Danso (hamstring)

Doubtful: Richarlison (calf)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Gray, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Tel

SOUTHAMPTON

Out: Flynn Downes (suspended), Juan Larios (fitness), Ross Stewart (fitness), Will Smallbone (groin)

Doubtful: Paul Onuachu (ankle)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap; Sugawara, Aribo, Ugochukwu, Walker-Peters; Fernandes; Archer, Dibling

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match .

Southampton's latest stint in Premier League football could officially come to an end if the Saints fall short in Sunday's showdown with Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

The visitors are 19 points shy of safety with 24 left to play for, while their hosts occupy a humiliating 14th place in the Premier League table, and here Sports Mole rounds up the team news for the two clubs.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs. SOUTHAMPTON

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Radu Dragusin (ACL), Dejan Kulusevski (foot), Kevin Danso (hamstring)

Doubtful: Richarlison (calf)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Gray, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Tel

SOUTHAMPTON

Out: Flynn Downes (suspended), Juan Larios (fitness), Ross Stewart (fitness), Will Smallbone (groin)

Doubtful: Paul Onuachu (ankle)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap; Sugawara, Aribo, Ugochukwu, Walker-Peters; Fernandes; Archer, Dibling

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match .

Tottenham Hotspur winger Dejan Kulusevski has reportedly caught the eye of two top-level Italian clubs ahead of the summer transfer window.

The 24-year-old is currently sidelined with a foot injury, and his absence has been well and truly felt, as Spurs have won just one of their five games in all competitions without the Swedish attacker.

Ange Postecoglou's men have also failed to find the back of the net in three of those clashes, most recently a 1-0 Premier League loss to London rivals Chelsea on Thursday evening, which made it four games without a win in the top flight.

The Lilywhites' dreadful season has left them 14th in the Premier League standings - "unacceptable" in Postecoglou's own words - although they are still vying for Europa League glory between now and the end of the season.

Spurs will soon take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals and will earn a ticket to the Champions League should they go all the way in the tournament, but failure to do so will consign them to a Europe-less 2025-26.

Napoli, AC Milan 'showing interest' in summer Kulusevski deal

Failure to qualify for any form of continental football might leave Tottenham vulnerable to bids for their most prized assets, a category that 24-year-old Kulusevski undoubtedly falls into.

The former Juventus man has managed 10 goals and as many assists in 42 games in the current campaign, and according to GIVEMESPORT, both Napoli and AC Milan want to bring him back to Serie A.

Kulusevski represented Atalanta BC, Parma and Juventus during his time in Italy before joining Spurs on an initial loan deal in January 2022, at which point the Lilywhites were under the wing of current Napoli boss Antonio Conte.

The Partenopei are now seeking replacements for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after his January exit for Paris Saint-Germain, but they will reportedly have to pay at least £50m if they want to reunite Kulusevski with Conte.

The 24-year-old's Tottenham contract does not expire until the end of the 2027-28 campaign, and the Lilywhites have supposedly not ruled out the prospect of pricing him out of a move back to Serie A.

Kulusevski's Italy return stance 'revealed' amid Napoli, Milan interest

Kulusevski managed to make a name for himself during his first spell in Italy's top division, managing 15 goals and as many assists in 94 games and commanding a £25.5m fee to leave Juventus permanently.

The Scandinavian may supposedly open the door to going back to Serie A at some point in his career, but the report adds that he is not currently pushing for a second spell in the Italian top flight.

Spurs' hopes of hanging onto Kulusevski have seemingly been handed a boost in recent hours, as Milan's interest was said to stem from the prospect of Fabio Paratici joining the club as their new sporting director.

Paratici worked for Spurs before being handed a worldwide ban for financial irregularities during his time with Juventus; his suspension ends in the summer, but Milan's attempts to bring him to San Siro have reportedly collapsed. body check tags ::

Southampton's short-lived stay in the Premier League could officially come to an end on Sunday afternoon if they lose to fellow crisis club Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

The Saints are teetering on the brink after an agonising 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in midweek, before their capital counterparts sank to a 1-0 loss to London rivals Chelsea.

Match preview

Unless Tottenham unexpectedly go all the way in this season's Europa League, the only 'cups' that the Spurs faithful will receive will be Ange Postecoglou cupping his ears to the crowd in Thursday's clash with Chelsea, an enraging encounter from start to finish for the Tottenham boss.

Enzo Fernandez's effort settled the derby in the Blues' favour, and Spurs' one uplifting moment was quickly snatched from them when a Pape Sarr equaliser was disallowed following a VAR review, triggering another one of Postecoglou's customary post-match technology rants.

The former Celtic head coach was also forced to deny that his ear-cupping to the away end was a hostile one - his decision to withdraw Lucas Bergvall for Sarr was met with a highly negative reaction - but regardless, that gesture was highly ill-advised after Sarr's strike was chalked off.

Only boasting one point from their last four games in England's top division, Tottenham's 14th-placed standing in the Premier League table makes for increasingly grim reading, as does their horrendous record of one win from their last 10 Premier League matches at home.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou's second-season trophy prophecy could still come true as the Lilywhites prepare to battle Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, and Spurs could hardly have wished for a friendlier fixture to regain some much-needed momentum before Thursday's first leg.

As has been the story of the Saints' season, even ending their six-game losing run at home to Crystal Palace left an incredibly bitter taste in the mouth, as Ivan Juric's side were oh so close to just a third Premier League win of the campaign thanks to Paul Onuachu's opener.

However, a tale of two headers ended with Matheus Franca breaking Southampton hearts in the second minute of added time, meaning that the Premier League's whipping boys could be condemned to their fate in record time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The formula is simple; if Southampton lose at Tottenham and Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Ipswich Town on Saturday, Juric's men will be relegated with seven games left to play, writing a new page of unwanted Premier League history in the process.

No team has ever been relegated as early as gameweek 31 before - the current 'record' is held by 2007-08 Derby County and 2018-19 Huddersfield Town, who were consigned to demotion in gameweek 32 - and the Saints' measly 10-point total still puts them on course for the worst-ever Premier League season.

To make matters worse, Southampton were slaughtered 5-0 by Spurs on home soil in December and have conceded in each of their last 15 Premier League away games against Tottenham, who even in their current state will be backed to hammer the final nail into their visitors' relegation coffin.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Southampton Premier League form:

Team News

The only positive from Thursday night's defeat for Spurs, Postecoglou confirmed in his pre-game press conference that no new players picked up injuries; Micky van de Ven was only cramping at the end and should be passed fit for Sunday.

Luckless attacker Richarlison might also be in with a chance of coming back from a calf problem, having made his return to training over the past week, but Radu Dragusin (ACL), Dejan Kulusevski (foot) and Kevin Danso (hamstring) are still on the treatment table.

Postecoglou has confirmed that he will shuffle the pack this weekend with Frankfurt on the horizon, which spells good news for the likes of Sarr, Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel; it would not be a huge surprise to see Son Heung-min spared for this one.

As for a doomed Southampton, Flynn Downes's 10th yellow card of the season in the draw with Crystal Palace means that he is suspended for Sunday's game, which Juan Larios (fitness), Ross Stewart (fitness) and Will Smallbone (groin) will also miss.

In keeping with the theme of their disastrous season, Juric was also forced to bring off all of Lesley Ugochukwu (unspecified), Onuachu (fatigue) and Ryan Manning (hand) against Palace, and the trio's availability for the weekend remains clouded in uncertainty.

Juric only described Onuachu as "exhausted", so the towering striker will likely be OK to reprise his role, but Joe Aribo, Tyler Dibling and Yukinari Sugawara should all gear up for promotions to the first XI.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Gray, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Tel

Southampton possible starting lineup:

Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap; Sugawara, Aribo, Fernandes, Walker-Peters; Dibling, Onuachu, Sulemana

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Southampton

Expect a slightly weakened Spurs side to take to the field this weekend as Postecoglou prioritises the Europa League, not that it should make much difference to the final scoreline.

As pitiful as Tottenham's performance was in midweek, a refreshed set of options should comfortably condemn Southampton to their 25th Premier League loss of the season, one that might officially punch their ticket to the 2025-26 Championship.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed their starting lineups for Thursday's Premier League game at Stamford Bridge.

With Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson having all been passed fit after injury, Enzo Maresca had several decisions to make ahead of this London derby.

The Italian has opted to hand starts to each of Palmer and Jackson, with Madueke being named on the substitutes' bench.

Reece James and Christopher Nkunku are the players to drop out to accommodate the pair, while there is also a change at right-back with Malo Gusto replacing Wesley Fofana.

Trevoh Chalobah has also been preferred to Benoit Badiashile, but, as expected, there is no place among the replacements for Romeo Lavia who picked up an injury earlier this week.

© Imago

Spurs make five changes

Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou has opted to make as many as five alterations to the Spurs XI that started the defeat to Fulham before the international break.

Micky van de Ven and Son Heung-min are notable starters in defence and attack respectively, Ben Davies and Mathys Tel the duo to drop out.

Wilson Odobert also comes into the final third, taking the spot of Brennan Johnson on the right flank, while Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison also feature in what is an offensive-minded XI.

Archie Gray and Yves Bissouma are the other two players to miss out on a place in the starting lineup.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

Subs: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Badiashile, Adarabioyo, James, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Madueke, Nkunku

Tottenham Hotspur XI: Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Odobert, Solanke, Son

Subs: Kinsky, Pedro Porro, Davies, Gray, Bissouma, Sarr, Moore, Johnson, Tel

No Data Analysis info

Chelsea lock horns with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Thursday night.

While the Blues lost 1-0 at Arsenal prior to the international break, Spurs suffered a 2-0 defeat to Fulham last time out, and here, Sports Mole rounds up all of the latest team news for the two clubs.

CHELSEA vs. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

CHELSEA

Out: Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended), Marc Guiu (hamstring), Omari Kellyman (hamstring)

Doubtful: Cole Palmer (muscle), Nicolas Jackson (hamstring), Noni Madueke (hamstring)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Radu Dragusin (ACL)

Doubtful: Dejan Kulusevski (foot), Kevin Danso (hamstring), Richarlison (calf), Lucas Bergvall (illness)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match .

Tottenham Hotspur will assess the conditions of four players ahead of Thursday's Premier League clash with London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

While Radu Dragusin is ruled out with a season-ending ACL injury, midfielder Lucas Bergvall should be fit to return after withdrawing from the Sweden squad during the international break due to illness.

Ange Postecoglou could also be boosted by the return of Dejan Kulusevski (foot), Kevin Danso (hamstring) and Richarlison (calf), who are all currently injury doubts and a late call is set to be made on their availability.

Should Danso not be fit to start, Cristian Romero could link arms with Micky van de Ven at centre-back, while Postecoglou will weigh up whether to start in-form Djed Spence ahead of either Pedro Porro or Destiny Udogie at right-back or left-back respectively.

Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr and James Maddison will all be pushing to start in midfield ahead of either Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur or Archie Gray after beginning as substitutes in Spurs' disappointing 2-0 loss at Fulham before the international break.

Captain Son Heung-min has, to the surprise of some, been benched for the last three Premier League games, but the South Korean could be recalled to start on the left flank at the expense of Mathys Tel.

Brennan Johnson will hope to get the nod ahead of Wilson Odobert to continue on the right, unless Kulusevski is deemed fit to start, while Dominic Solanke is set to lead the line.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

Chelsea could be boosted by the return of three players for Thursday's Premier League clash with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

While Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended), Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman (both hamstring) all remain unavailable for selection, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke could be fit to return to Enzo Maresca's matchday squad.

Palmer was ruled out of the 1-0 loss at Arsenal prior to the international break due to a muscle injury and subsequently withdrew from the England squad, but the playmaker - who scored two penalties in the thrilling 4-3 win at Spurs in November - returned to training last week and will hope to be involved in some capacity on Thursday.

Fellow attackers Jackson and Madueke have also returned to training after spells out with hamstring injuries and, along with Palmer, will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

The potential return of both Palmer and Jackson could see Pedro Neto move from a makeshift central role over to the right flank, while Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku may battle for a start on the left side of attack.

Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are the most likely duo to start in centre-midfield. Reece James played in midfield against Arsenal, but he could revert to right-back with Wesley Fofana potentially moved across into the heart of the defence alongside Levi Colwill.

Marc Cucurella is set to continue at left-back, while Maresca will decide whether to stick with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who has started three of Chelsea's last four games in all competitions, or recall Filip Jorgensen between the sticks.

Chelsea possible starting lineup: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

> Click here to see how Tottenham Hotspur could line up for this contest

No Data Analysis info

Almost a decade on from the infamous 'Battle of the Bridge' encounter, London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur return to Stamford Bridge to lock horns in the Premier League on Thursday night.

These two teams were involved in an enthralling seven-goal thriller in North London almost four months ago when Chelsea came out on top by a 4-3 scoreline.

Match preview

© IconSport

Chelsea's four-game winning run across all competitions was brought to an end before the international break as Tottenham's North London rivals Arsenal beat the Blues 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on March 16.

Mikel Merino's first-half header condemned Chelsea to their third Premier League defeat in five matches and Enzo Maresca's side are now clinging on to a top-four place, as they sit just one point above Manchester City in fourth and two clear of sixth-placed Newcastle United - who have a game in hand, while Brentford down in 11th are only eight points behind with nine games still left to play.

Chelsea, who are seeking to avoid a third successive campaign finishing outside the Premier League's top five, currently boast the finest of advantages in the hotly-contested battle to secure Champions League football for next season and are now preparing for three top-flight fixtures against bottom-half opposition, as well as their two-legged Conference League quarter-final tie with Legia Warsaw later this month.

The West Londoners will welcome a return to Stamford Bridge where they have won each of their last four Premier League games, keeping a clean sheet in their last two against Southampton (4-0) and Leicester (1-0) - only once in the last five seasons have Chelsea won three home matches in a row without conceding, doing so from April to May 2024 in a run that included a 2-0 win over Spurs.

Chelsea will fancy their chances of success on Thursday, as they have won more PL games (36) and scored more PL goals (120) against Tottenham than they have versus any other opponent. In fact, only three teams have scored more goals against a side in the division than the 120 Chelsea have netted against Spurs (Arsenal vs. Everton, Manchester United vs. Everton, Liverpool vs. Newcastle - all 124).

© Imago

Like Chelsea, Tottenham were unable to claim maximum points in their final game before the international break and instead suffered their 15th Premier League defeat of the season at the hands of Fulham.

Second-half strikes from Rodrigo Muniz and ex-Spurs man Ryan Sessegnon condemned the Lilywhites to a 2-0 defeat at Craven Cottage, leaving them languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table and 10 points behind the top half.

Europa League glory is seemingly the only saving grace for Ange Postecoglou, whose Tottenham future has come under the microscope once again following an "unacceptable" loss at Fulham. He is now facing unwanted history, as defeat at Chelsea on Thursday would see the Greek-Australian become the first-ever Spurs manager to lose his first four league meetings against the Blues.

No team has earned fewer Premier League points in London derbies this season than Tottenham (10, level with Brentford), who have lost five out of nine such matches (W3 D1). Only in 1987-88, 1989-90, 2003-04 (all six) and 2004-05 (seven) have Spurs ever suffered more London derby defeats in a league campaign.

Tottenham are bidding to win their first game at Stamford Bridge since a 3-1 success in April 2018, but they head into Thursday's contest having lost eight of their 14 top-flight away matches this term, with only Leicester (10) and Southampton (12) having lost more - not since 2008-09 have the Lilywhites suffered more away defeats in a single league season (11).

Chelsea Premier League form:

Chelsea form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Chelsea trio Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended), Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman (both hamstring) all remain unavailable for selection, but Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke could be fit to return to the matchday squad as they have all taken part in training.

The potential return of both Palmer and Jackson could see Pedro Neto move from a makeshift central role over to the right flank, while Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku may battle for a start on the left side of attack.

Reece James played in midfield against Arsenal, but he could revert to right-back with Wesley Fofana potentially moved across into the heart of the defence alongside Levi Colwill, while Maresca will decide whether to stick with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who has started three of Chelsea's last four games in all competitions, or recall Filip Jorgensen between the sticks.

As for Tottenham, Radu Dragusin remains out with a season-ending ACL injury, but Postecoglou could be boosted by the return of Lucas Bergvall (illness), Dejan Kulusevski (foot), Kevin Danso (hamstring) and Richarlison (calf) who will all be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Should Danso not be fit to start, Cristian Romero could link arms with Micky van de Ven at centre-back, while Postecoglou will weigh up whether to start in-form Djed Spence ahead of either Pedro Porro or Destiny Udogie at right-back or left-back respectively.

Captain Son Heung-min has started as a substitute in each of last three Premier League games, but the South Korean could be recalled to start on the left flank at the expense of Mathys Tel, while James Maddison, Pape Matar Sarr and Wilson Odobert will also be pushing for a return to the first XI.

Chelsea possible starting lineup:

Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

We say: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Clashes between Chelsea and Spurs tend to be filled with drama and entertainment, but whether we will see another goal-fest in this one between two inconsistent teams, just as determined not to lose as they are to win, remains to be seen as both sides have lacked a cutting edge in front of goal in recent matches.

There is no doubt that the hosts will be regarded as favourites considering Spurs' dire record at Stamford Bridge - winning just one of their last 39 away league visits over the past 35 years - and if Palmer and Jackson are to return for the Blues, then they should have enough to collect three valuable points.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Tottenham Hotspur will look to make amends for the disappointing defeat they suffered at Fulham before the international break when they make another trip across London to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Thursday night.

The result at Craven Cottage was Spurs' third defeat in five games, and has placed more pressure on under-fire manager Ange Postecoglou, who has struggled greatly in his second season, with the Lilywhites down in 14th in the Premier League table.

Success in the Europa League is all that can save Spurs' season, and much of the focus will now centre around their upcoming quarter-final with Eintracht Frankfurt, but a strong performance against rivals Chelsea is always imperative.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with bitter rivals Chelsea, who have not suffered a home defeat in this fixture for seven years, but saw their four-game winning run ended by Arsenal before the international break.

Kevin Danso

© Iconsport

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: April 3 (vs. Chelsea)

Danso sustained a hamstring injury late on in their draw with Bournemouth in early March, but after missing the fixtures against AZ Alkmaar and Fulham, as well as international duty with Austria, the Lens loanee is potentially in contention to return.

Dejan Kulusevski

© Imago

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Foot

Possible return date: April 3 (vs. Chelsea)

Kulusevski has missed Spurs' last four matches, and was also unavailable for Sweden duty last week, with the signs suggesting this could also come just too soon for the wide man, who is recovering from a foot injury.

Richarlison

© Imago

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Calf

Possible return date: April 3 (vs. Chelsea)

Postecoglou revealed early in March that he expected Richarlison to recover from a calf injury after the international break, suggesting he will be in contention to feature here, after eight games on the sidelines.

Radu Dragusin

© Imago

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Dragusin will not play again this season after surgery on a serious ACL injury, and the Romanian central defender is set to miss most of 2025 with the setback.

Lucas Bergvall

© Imago

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Illness

Possible return date: April 3 (vs. Chelsea)

Bergvall missed international duty with Sweden due to illness and was not present for training last week, but he should be fine to feature in some capacity here.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR'S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for this Premier League encounter.

No Data Analysis info