Southampton's Russell Martin Disappointed By Team's Low Premier League Points Tally

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Russell Martin feels Southampton should have accumulated more points in the Premier League this season. The Saints have only one win, two draws, and five points, placing them at the bottom. They have lost 12 games since their promotion. Southampton has not won in five matches, losing the last two consecutively, with a goal difference of minus 20 after conceding 31 goals and scoring just 11.

Martin expressed his frustration by stating, "We shouldn't be on the points that we are. It is incredibly hurtful and embarrassing to be on five points - we should have more." He acknowledged mistakes and moments poorly managed but emphasised the need for growth both as a team and individually. Preparing players emotionally for tough situations is crucial.

Southampton will face a Tottenham side also struggling with form. Martin respects Ange Postecoglou, who is under pressure. Spurs have won only once in their last eight matches across all competitions and are winless in five. Postecoglou's style of play has been scrutinised as his team sits 11th in the table, seven points behind the top four.

Postecoglou commented on their current situation: "We can't dismiss the situation we're in at the moment. We're very limited at the moment what we can do from a team perspective." He noted that players are overworked without rest, affecting sharpness. The focus remains on ensuring basic gameplay elements are maintained.

Ben Brereton Diaz is yet to win any of his 24 Premier League games during spells at Sheffield United (14) and Southampton (10). With six draws and 18 losses, he aims to end this streak soon. Only Oliver Burke has had a longer winless start to a Premier League career with 25 games.

For Tottenham, Dejan Kulusevski could reach his 100th Premier League appearance against Southampton. His first appearance was also against them in February 2022. Kulusevski has provided 21 assists in the league, second only to Son Heung-min for Spurs since his debut.

Match Prediction

Tottenham remain unbeaten in their last 13 Premier League games against teams starting at the bottom of the table (W10 D3), since losing to West Bromwich Albion in May 2018. During this period, they scored 42 goals, netting at least three times in each of their last eight encounters.

Spurs have failed to score only once in their last 22 meetings with Southampton—a 1-0 away loss in January 2020. However, Postecoglou's side has lost 14 out of their 33 Premier League games so far this year (W14 D5), just one less than they did over 42 games last year.

Southampton's Recent Performance

Southampton has secured just one victory out of their last 28 Premier League matches (D6 L21). Their sole clean sheet came during a narrow win over Everton in November. Despite these struggles, they have lost only once in their previous six home league games against Spurs (W2 D3), suffering a defeat of 5-2 back in September 2020.

The upcoming match sees Tottenham favoured to win based on recent performances against lower-ranked teams and Southampton's ongoing challenges this season.