Mark Lawrenson reckons Tottenham Hotspur will drop points in a 1-1 draw with Southampton at St Mary’s on Tuesday night.
Spurs are unbeaten in their last six Premier League games as they look to challenge Arsenal, Manchester United and West Ham for a top-four finish.
Tottenham battled to an impressive 2-2 draw with Liverpool FC at the start of the festive schedule to show notable signs of improvement under Antonio Conte.
The Italian coach masterminded a 3-0 win against 10-man Crystal Palace on Boxing Day thanks to goals from Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min.
Spurs will start Tuesday in sixth position in the Premier League table and six points behind Arsenal but Tottenham have three games in hand on their north London rivals.
Southampton ended a five-game winless run with a crucial 3-2 victory over West Ham on Boxing Day thanks to goals from Mohamed Elyounoussi, James Ward Prowse and Jan Bednarek.
The Saints managed to move eight points clear of the relegation zone thanks to their win in east London.
BBC Sport pundit Lawrenson is backing Southampton to pick up another key point in their bid to avoid being sucked into a relegation battle.
“Southampton got a great win over West Ham on Sunday but they are very inconsistent, which is why they’ve spent most of the season in the bottom half of the table,” Lawrenson told BBC Sport.
“Tottenham are still unbeaten in the league under Antonio Conte, who has won four and drawn two of his six games so far, but five of them have been at home so we are yet to really see what they are like under him on the road.
“That’s why I’m going for a draw here, although I don’t really know what to expect from Southampton – good or bad.”
Spurs are unbeaten in their last seven games against Southampton at St Mary’s.
Although Southampton have struggled with consistency this season, the Saints have lost just once at home in the league this season.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men are unbeaten in their last five Premier League fixtures at St Mary’s.
Author’s Verdict
Harry Kane appears to have turned a corner in the 2021-22 Premier League season with goals in successive top-flight games.
Spurs look to be making progress under Conte and Tottenham look like genuine top-four contenders.
Although Southampton have impressed at St Mary’s this season, Tottenham should have too much for Hasenhuttl’s men.