Tottenham Hotspur consolidated their second position in the English Premier League on Sunday, ending the day two points ahead of Manchester City in third.
The three points came courtesy of a 2-1 win at home to Claude Puel’s Southampton, a hard fought encounter that required determination and desire to get through.
Goals from Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli in the first half gave them an insurmountable lead and although Saints came back into the game in the second half, with a goal from James Ward-Prowse, Mauricio Pochettino’s men held on for a big win.
They head into the last international break of the season in great health and must be considered favourites to finish best of the rest behind Chelsea.
What did the 90 minutes tell us about the White Hart Lane side?
Here are FIVE lessons we learned from their win…
Christian Eriksen has emerged as the main man
With 10 direct goal contributions in his last 6 matches, Christian Eriksen is in better form than anyone right now at Spurs. Those 7 assists and 3 goals have powered Mauricio Pochettino’s side on at a vital time in the season when others around him are not exactly firing on all cylinders.
He’s now the main man in the final third for Spurs and although the likes of Dele Alli and Harry Kane steal the headlines, Eriksen’s consistency is a vital component of this team.
Is he underrated? We’re not sure we’d go that far, but supporters should massively appreciate what he brings to the team.
Spurs could struggle with Son Heung-Min leading the attack
With Harry Kane out for the next few weeks at least, Pochettino has turned to Son Heung-Min as the answer to lead the Spurs attack. That could be a problem against Premier League opposition as shown by his ineffectual display against Southampton on Sunday.
He did excellently against Millwall, but they are a League One side after all.
It highlights the lack of depth at Spurs in the striking position and fans must be hoping the club go out and sign a player of quality to compete and provide back-up to Kane without any missteps.
Not Son’s day.
Threat of Alli more important than ever
Dele Alli has been a massive part of Spurs’ season but as we approach the tail-end of the campaign and with injuries and suspensions likely to play a big role over the coming months, it’s more important than ever that he steps up and pulls his side through games.
He certainly did that today, a formidable presence in the Southampton half, constantly looking like a threat and able to create something.
There’s been many times this season you’ve expected Dele Alli’s form to drop off due to his young age but he’s proving to be a driving force for Spurs’ success.
Manolo Gabbiadini is a big miss for Saints
Gabbiadini has scored six goals in his first four games for Southampton, announcing himself as a fantastic buy very early in his career on the south coast. His groin injury in the first half was a big blow for Southampton and they now anxiously await to scans to reveal the extent of the problem.
He’s been a breath of fresh air to Claude Puel’s team, looking like he possesses the quality to be a massive force in the Premier League.
To Southampton’s credit they rallied in the second half regardless and managed to get their goal but fans may be left wondering what might have happened should Gabbiadini been able to stay on the pitch.
One man team? Not likely
The accusations that Tottenham Hotspur are a one man team have never looked further from the truth than in their win against Southampton. Saints are a tricky team and you truly need to be an elite side at the top of your game to see them off. Spurs proved they were that.
Of course, losing Harry Kane is a massive blow but it’s not a mortal blow to their hopes of finishing in he UEFA Champions League positions.
With Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and others all ready to step up, Pochettino’s men have plenty of talent to replace his goals with.
