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A resilient Southampton team saw off visitors Tottenham Hotspur in a tight affair at St. Mary's. Jose Mourinho's men travelled to Hampshire to face the 11th placed Saints, who were in a good run of form having won two out of their last three games.
Spurs had an off night on the field as the home team beat them 1-0 in a spirited performance which sees the Saints climb the table, further away from the relegation zone and edge nearer to the top half. Tottenham was looking for all three points to move closer to the top 4 but was undone by a Danny Ings goal as Southampton's leading man stepped up to the plate again to help his team.
This defeat sees Spurs stuck at 6th place in the league table, one point behind Manchester United who has a game in hand at the time of writing. Here are the three main talking points of this game.
#3 Spurs' defensive woes continue
Manager Jose Mourinho made a name for himself through his often pragmatic style of football and his defensive set-up at the back which ensured his team's victories in most games. However, that has not been the case - Spurs have not kept a clean sheet in their last five Premier League games, and have looked defensively vulnerable since the Portuguese has taken charge of the club.
The visitors could only watch as Ings continued his fine form in front of goal by nodding his team ahead in the 17th minute. Throughout the game, Southampton looked threatening as they managed to create good goalscoring opportunities through accurate passes in the final third. Mourinho could only watch in anguish as his defence could not do enough to come out of the game unhurt, and the scoreline could very well have been more flattering in favour of Southampton.
No one knows better than the former Manchester United manager the meaning of a solid defence. If Spurs are to seriously contend for the fourth spot, they will have to fix their issues at the back sooner rather than later.
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#2 Danny Ings' brilliant form continues
There was a reason Danny Ings was once one of the most sought after strikers in England's first division. Although unlucky at Liverpool FC due to his injuries, the English striker has turned his career around with Southampton. After his match-winning goal tonight, Ings has nine goals in his last ten appearances and 13 overall in the Premier League, second only to Jamie Vardy.
13 Premier League goals are indeed highly impressive for a striker leading a team who have been facing relegation, for the most part, this season. It is primarily due to Ings' goals that his team are five points ahead of the relegation zone. The 27-year-old was lively tonight against good opposition, as he completed three dribbles and attempted two shots, one of them proving to be the only goal of the game.
If the Saints are to stay up in the league this season, they will be hoping that their main man can continue to deliver on the offensive end. If there was a most improved player award in the Premier League, Ings would arguably be the frontrunner for that honour.
#1 Jose Mourinho's honeymoon phase at Tottenham is over
Jose Mourinho was shown a yellow card today for the most Mourinhoesque reason possible - the former Chelsea manager was trying to read Southampton's tactics by peeping into their managerial area and was booked as a result. When asked what he thought about the booking, he replied in a way which reminded the league just what type of a man he was.-
"The yellow card was fair, because I was rude. But I was rude to an idiot"
If it was not obvious before, it became obvious after this interview - Mourinho is well and truly back. This match was an indication of the fact that the manager's honeymoon period at his new club is over. Spurs have won only two of their last five Premier League games, and have lost two during the same time. With Manchester United set to face Arsenal tonight, it was a great opportunity for the Lilywhites to overtake the Red Devils and jump to the fifth position, but a loss today leaves the club at 6th with Sheffield United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at their heels.
The likes of Dele Alli and Harry Kane looked off today, and Spurs lacked their usual swagger which was prominent during the first few weeks of Mourinho's reign. With the festive period over and the transfer window open, it will be interesting to see how Mourinho manages his team to bounce back, or if he pressures chairman Daniel Levy into making a signing. Regardless, now is a true test of the manager's mettle as his team prepares to fight it out for a Champions League spot.
