Both Southampton and Spurs had their eye on the bright lights of the Bernabeu, the Allianz arena and Turin. Yet their hopes of Champions League have slowly spiraled into nothing.
Mathematically it is still possible and for the winner of this showdown at St Mary's they could mount a very late, very unlikely challenge to topple Liverpool and Manchester City, the top two finishers last year.
Mauricio Pochettino returns to Southampton for the first time since Tottenham snapped him up to replace Tim Sherwood.
A win for his former club at lunchtime on Saturday would see them overtake his current team. With kick-off at 12:45, Ronald Koeman's Saints' sides have a chance to move up to 5th, above Liverpool, with a win.
Tottenham would see the season as a failure if they weren't to finish above Southampton, who's season has been a success given early relegation predictions whatever happens in the next 5 games, the final 5 games.
TEAM NEWS
Southampton
Fraser Forster is the main loss for the Saints with his long term injury meaning Kelvin Davis will continue his run in the first team.
Toby Alderweireld's dislocated shoulder, picked up against Stoke, is likely to keep him out on Saturday. Jay Rodriguez, picking up interest from Manchester City, is still out of contention for Ronald Koeman as well as Filip Djuricic. Victor Wanyama, surrounded by rumours linking him with Arsenal, is suspended.
Maya Yoshida and James Ward-Prowse could return against Spurs after injury.
Starting line-up: Davis; Clyne, Yoshida, Fonte, Bertrand; Davis, Schneiderlin, Ward-Prowse; Tadic, Mane, Pelle.
Tottenham Hotspur
The full backs at White Hart Lane have been suffering recently with both Danny Rose and Eric Dier set to be rested due to fitness issues.
Ben Davies and Eric Dier should replace them on either flank.
Ryan Mason was rested in Tottenham's 3-1 win against Newcastle with Paulinho taking his place but Mason is expected to return to the starting line up in the lunch time kick off.
Andros Townsend is expected to be dropped to include Erik Lamela.
Another player returning for Mauricio Pochetinho could be Hugo Lloris. The French international has been out for three games with a knee injury but will come in for Michael Vorm.
Starting line-up: Lloris; Dier, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies; Mason, Bentaleb, Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela; Kane.
FORM
| Southampton | Last 3 | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Stoke City | 1-2 | Southampton |
| Southampton | 0-2 | Hull City |
| Everton | 0-1 | Southampton |
| Tottenham | Last 3 | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Newcastle United | 1-3 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 0-1 | Aston Villa |
| Burnley | 0-0 | Tottenham Hotspur |
- Southampton wins: 36
- Draws: 28
- Tottenham wins: 50
- Head-to-head:
- Tottenham have managed just four wins in 15 Premier League visits to Southampton.
- Prior to their win in Southampton's first season back in the Premier League in 2013-13, they had not won away to the Saints since 1999.
- Half of the last 12 league meetings between the sides have ended in the same scoreline, 1-0.
- Southampton:
- Southampton have won just three of their last nine league games.
- They have scored just eight goals in their last 11 league matches.
- Defeat to Stoke last weekend was the first league game this season in which Southampton lost after having taken the lead. The last time they lost from a winning position in the league was against Tottenham in March 2014.
- The two goals they let in at Stoke was the first time they had conceded more than once in an away match since the opening weekend of this season.
- Their record of 15 clean sheets in the league is the joint-most in the top flight with Chelsea.
- They need one point to surpass their record total of points accrued (56) in a Premier League campaign which was set last season. It would be their highest points tally in the top flight since they accrued 68 in 1984-85.
- Tottenham Hotspur:
- Spurs have fewer points after 33 matches of this season (57) than they had in any of the last three seasons.
- They have won just four of their last 12 matches in all competitions (D3, L5).
- Harry Kane is only the fourth Spurs player to hit 20 or more Premier League goals in a season - after Gareth Bale, Jurgen Klinsmann and Teddy Sheringham.
- Kane is only the third player to score 20 goals in a Premier League season while aged 21 or younger after Robbie Fowler (28 in 1995-96 and 25 in 1994-95) and Chris Sutton (25 in 1993-94).
- Nacer Chadli has been involved in 14 goals in 30 appearances in 2014-15 (nine goals, five assists) after just one goal and three assists in 24 games last season.
- Christian Eriksen has scored three direct free-kicks this season, more than any other player in the top flight this campaign. He has scored three goals in three Premier League games against Saints.