Mark in Newcastle: Just wondering if Southampton are having a boycott today like us last week?

Southampton's best attacking outlet seems to be Ryan Bertrand down their right. He gets forward again and fizzes a low cross across the face of goal... but there is nobody there to get on the end of it.

That pretty much sums up the game so far really - after 20 minutes we are yet to have a shot at goal by either side.

Tottenham have had more than 61% of the ball in the first 15 minutes but Saints are keeping them at arms' length at the edge of their area.

Harry Kane tries to work some magic to find a way through but Nathaniel Clyne is there to stop him. Clyne's tackle concedes a corner but, again, Saints clear their lines easily.

Mike Hutchinson: , externalProof that you can have a perfectly-observed minute's silence. Well done Saints and Spurs fans COYS

Saints' first attack and at first glance it is a decent chance that goes begging.

Ryan Bertrand's whipped cross looks like it should find Graziano Pelle in miles of space in the area. Pelle doesn't reach it, though, or even really try, and there is an obvious reason why - replays show he was also miles offside and the flag would surely have gone up if he had touched the ball.

Mauricio Pochettino - stick or twist Spurs fans?

Benhard Naweseb: You have the league's top goal scorer in the team and you have a goal difference of +6, next season will be his last at Spurs

Get involved on Twitter using #bbcfootball, external or post a comment on the MOTD Facebook, external page. You can also text in on 81111, but state your name and location.

Another neat Spurs build-up comes to nothing when Eric Dier bends a cross in from the right that is far too close to Saints keeper Kelvin Davis.

Spurs are having the better of the early possession but there is not much in it and their latest attack ends when Harry Kane pushes over Jose Fonte on the edge of the area. That's a Saints free-kick.

Our first anti-Pochettino chant of the day from the home fans is followed by our first pro-Pochettino song by the away supporters.

On the pitch, Saints gave away a soft corner, but easily cleared it.

Scrappy stuff so far, with both sides getting stuck in in midfield. I think we can expect a lot more of that today - these two teams lead the way in terms of top-flight tackles this season, making an average of 22 per game.

BBC Sport's Nabil Hassan at St Mary's: "If Mauricio Pochettino was expecting a hostile reception on his return to St Mary's he didn't get one other than the odd jeer here and there. Game under way as the sun breaks out here at St Mary's."

Southampton get us under way, to a loud chorus of "When the Saints".

There will be a minute's silence before kick-off to mark the 30th anniversary of the Bradford fire.

The players emerge at a sporadically sunny St Mary's.

"There's only one Ronald Koeman" is the chant as Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino follows them out of the tunnel.

Image source, Reuters

Around five minutes until we get started and the players are in the tunnel at St Mary's - Saints are in their traditional red-and-white stripes, Spurs in their fetching all-yellow away kit.

Speaking of form, Tottenham have won their last five Premier League games against Southampton, and it is 10 years since Saints beat Spurs - when Nigel Quashie scored the winner.

Maybe that's not such a happy memory for Saints fans to be honest. After that victory they only won two of their 10 remaining games that season, and finished bottom of the table.

If, like I was, you are left wondering what happened to Nigel Quashie, I have the answer - the former Scotland midfielder is player/assistant manager of snappily-named Iceland side BI/Bolungarvik.

Simon Brotherton
Match of the Day commentator

"The pressure's on to finish at least fifth and this game should be fiercely competitive.

"Spurs have an excellent away record with only Chelsea and Arsenal having won more than their eight games on the road.

"In contrast, Southampton have the meanest defence in the Premier League and have only conceded 24 times all season. They've also won their last three at home while keeping three clean sheets in the process."

Spurs are not doing too shabbily either, of course, and are currently a point and a place above Saints. it means today's game is very much a battle for Europa League football next season - assuming anybody wants that?

Image source, Getty Images

So, how much have Southampton missed Pochettino? Um, not an awful lot at first glance.

The Argentine did brilliantly to guide Saints to eighth place last season, equalling their best finish in the Premier League era. But under Ronald Koeman's guidance they are a shoe-in to finish at least seventh, and a win today would put them fifth - until Liverpool play West Brom later anyway.

Even a draw would set a new club record for Premier League points, and move Southampton closer to the 60-point mark that they have not reached in the top flight for 30 years.

Will, Berlin: "I look at that Spurs line up and I see a spine of quality - Lloris, Vertongen, Eriksen and Kane - surrounded by averageness. If we have another summer where we sell off half of the squad who never even made the team, plus accept profit-winning bids for one of our stars (Lloris or Eriksen maybe this year??) followed by random purchases of unproven Premier League quality I think I'll blow my footballing brains out! It's not rocket science Mr Levy, sell the rest not the best!

Get involved on Twitter using #bbcfootball, external or post a comment on the MOTD Facebook, external page. You can also text in on 81111, but state your name and location.