Everything on... Southampton

We’ve taken on the Saints in December in each of the last three seasons, winning every time and scoring a total of 11 goals in the process.

Here’s everything you need to know about our midweek visitors...

Team news

Midfielder Mario Lemina is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the 2-2 draw against Manchester United on Saturday.

Danny Ings could return from a hamstring injury with fellow striker Shane Long possibly in line for a recall following an ankle problem.

The Saints also have injury doubts at left-back with Ryan Bertrand (back) and Matt Targett (head) hoping to be fit. Should they fail to recover then 19-year-old Yan Valery, who made his debut on Saturday, is likely to retain his place. Fellow teenager Michael Obafemi is a doubt after being forced off against United with a muscle problem.

One to watch

Danish international Pierre-Emile Højbjerg has become an increasingly influential part of the Southampton midfield during a difficult season for the Saints.

Højbjerg joined Bayern Munich as a 17-year-old and made 25 appearances in all competitions over the next four seasons, also gaining experience in loan spells at Augsburg and Schalke. Having played 23 Bundesliga games with the latter, he was expected to push for a first team spot at Bayern in the 2016/17 season but Southampton then swooped for £12.8m.

The tenacious holding midfielder, who is comfortable in possession and capable of playing a box-to-box role, was in and out of the side in his first two seasons but has blossomed alongside Lemina this term and scored in back-to-back games against Crystal Palace and Brighton in September. He currently has 23 caps for Denmark.

Last five meetings

21 January, 2018 – Southampton 1-1 Spurs – Premier League
26 December, 2017 – Spurs 5-2 Southampton – Premier League
19 March, 2017 – Spurs 2-1 Southampton – Premier League
28 December, 2016 – Southampton 1-4 Spurs – Premier League
8 May, 2016 – Spurs 1-2 Southampton – Premier League

Previous clash

We had taken 13 points from a possible 15, three of them from a 5-2 win in the reverse fixture, when we headed to St Mary's Stadium in January.

We made a poor start as Davinson Sanchez unfortunately deflected Ryan Bertrand’s low cross past Michel Vorm but levelled in the 18th minute when Harry Kane grabbed his fourth goal in a month against the Saints, heading in a Ben Davies corner.

The contest could have gone either way thereafter with Kane coming close to snatching a dramatic winner in added time, only for his effort to skid just wide. We would, however, win seven of our next eight leagues games.

Southampton’s form

Mark Hughes lost his job as manager on Monday morning with Southampton sitting 18th in the table after picking up just one victory in their first 14 Premier League games of the season.

Their sole win was 2-0 at Crystal Palace on 1 September though they have lost four of their five away matches since. Despite their league position, the Saints have often proved difficult to beat and have drawn six games this season, including four of their last six.

They also knocked Brighton and Everton out of the Carabao Cup before falling to Leicester City in the fourth round last week.

Magic moment

We set a Premier League record that stands to this day when we faced Southampton at White Hart Lane on 7 February, 1993, scoring four goals in only four minutes and 44 seconds on our way to a 4-2 victory.

We were trailing when Teddy Sheringham headed in Darren Anderton’s 54th-minute free-kick and that sparked one of the most astonishing goal blitzes in our history.

Nick Barmby grabbed the second goal, turning home from a narrow angle following Sheringham’s mis-hit shot, and the Saints then fell apart. Anderton slammed in the third after Tim Flowers had pawed a cross into his path and the disbelieving crowd were ecstatic when Sheringham coolly fired in the fourth.

Played for both

Toby Alderweireld, Victor Wanyama and Paulo Gazzaniga all spent time at Southampton before joining us in recent years, while Mauricio Pochettino was manager at St Mary’s from January, 2013, to May, 2014, but not so many players have gone in the opposite direction.

One of those who did was Chris Perry, who came through the youth ranks at Wimbledon before joining us in July, 1999. The diligent and composed centre-back played in 37 or our 38 league games in his first season and would be first choice in that position for three years.

He made 146 appearances for us then had spells at Charlton Athletic, West Bromwich Albion and Luton Town before moving to Southampton, initially on loan, in 2008. Perry ended his time on the south coast – and his playing career – in summer 2010 having won the Football League Trophy in his final campaign.

Perry is currently Under-18s coach at Millwall and we will face his side in the FA Youth Cup third round on Monday 17 December.

What they’re saying

In caretaker charge for Wednesday’s game, former Saints goalkeeper Kelvin Davis insists any personal achievement at being entrusted with the club’s first team managerial duties has been put to one side as he bids to give his players the best possible preparation for their visit to Wembley.

“If I'm honest, my feeling right now is not one of pride,” he said. “If I put my mind forward and imagine myself standing on the sideline being a coach or a manager for Southampton Football Club, everything in my body would tell me that's a lovely feeling and one I would obviously always cherish.

“But my feelings right now are more about focus and preparing the team and the lads to put a strong performance in and do what everyone connected with the club wants to see.

“The messages will be very simple, very clear. My role is to take the team on Wednesday. I don't see the point in trying to get too much into (the players’) heads. They're good players and I think we'll get everything we can get into them before the game.

“They're professional boys, and I like to think with their abilities there's nothing stopping them putting in a positive performance and hopefully putting on a display that puts us in a position to come away with something.”