Premier League: Eriksen helps Spurs sink Southampton

Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen scored the only goal of the game as Mauricio Pochettino took all three points from his former club Southampton.

The Dane scored five minutes before half-time to settle a contest of few goalscoring chances and lift his team into sixth in the Premier League table.

It was a tight affair at White Hart Lane and the Saints will rue the failure of £10m striker Sadio Mane to make contact with a low cross, in what was their best goalscoring opportunity, late in the game.

Spurs had dominated the majority of the first half, with Erik Lamela drawing the first good save of the game from Fraser Forster with a low shot after finding space with a run from right to left.

Erikson looked to find his range shortly afterwards with an effort from 25 yards which Forster fumbled around his left-hand post.

Minutes later, the Dane was on the scoresheet, applying the finish from the edge of the box after being rolled into space by Nacer Chadli’s intelligent pass.

The goal did little to inspire Southampton, and although Graziano Pelle forced a comfortable save from Hugo Lloris, Chadli came closest to providing the game’s next goal with a shot that struck the post at the end of a counter-attack.

Lloris had to be at his best to hold a Dusan Tadic free-kick that deflected awkwardly off his wall but was not an overworked figure in the Spurs goal.

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Mane got in behind the Spurs defence five minutes after the interval and went to ground under a shoulder charge from Younes Kaboul but only a yellow card was shown and the free-kick was comfortably dealt with.

Victor Wanyama had a firm shot well saved by Hugo Lloris after a long throw had been cleared into his path but the Saints’ best chance of the game fell to Mane.

Ryan Bertrand found space high on the left wing for a cross and picked out the Senagalese striker but he missed the ball completely - and Spurs collected the points.