Image source, Getty Images

Turns out Mauricio Pochettino doesn't mind bumping into his old flame. The Spurs manager has come back to remind Saints what they are missing once again.

Spurs stay fifth with a thumping win - setting them up nicely for their next game at Watford on New Year's Day.

But we've got loads more football before then. Tomorrow there is action in the Championship before the Premier League returns on Friday when Hull City host Everton Join us then!

England: A goalscoring gameweek for this Three Lions quartet! ⚽️

Johnny Magrinho: Can I just take the time to say, once again, how good Eriksen is. He is so consistent. If he was Brazilian he'd be at Barcelona

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino: "I think it was a difficult game from the start. It was hard to settle but we prepared in the way we wanted to in order to play against Southampton. 

"It was unlucky for us to concede early in the first half but after 10-15 minutes we started to come into the game and push a little harder. We certainly deserved the victory.

"It was important for Harry Kane and Dele Alli as brilliant offensive players to score goals and I am very pleased with their performances. 

"All the top sides have won over the festive period so it was important for us to keep fighting and after that I think we are in a good position."

On the busy Christmas period in English football: "Having been in England for four seasons now I appreciate the culture and tradition behind the Christmas fixtures and I am not the person to try to change it. It's different but its important to keep tradition."

The night started with a bang for Southampton - then it fizzled out quicker than a cheap firework.

Spurs had more possession, more territorial advantage and - finally - more goals. The visitors only had five efforts at goal and scored with four of them.

Image source, #bbcfootball

He wouldn't the first former Spurs striker to have a crack. Clive Allen anyone? London Monarchs?

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino on the penalty incident:  "I have just tried to see the penalty incident on the TV but without seeing it, it is too difficult for me to say. 

"My opinion was it was a foul but one thing we cannot change was that we won the game and we fully deserved the victory".    

Here's what the result means for the Premier League table. No change in position for either side but a huge win for Spurs as they cling on to the coattails of the top four.

Image source, #bbcfootball

Martin Puckett: Redmond pushing happened outside box, he then slips, contact made inside box therefore accidental contact in box so no red?

Craig Barrass: Redmond's foul did not deny an obvious goal scoring opportunity so the argument ends there #noredcard

FISHARENA: Mike Dean has continued to prove that he is a very very bad referee.Always creating controversial topics game in game out. Poor!

Image source, Reuters

Southampton

Southampton manager Claude Puel: "With the red card it was too difficult to come back and we conceded another two goals. The red card is the end of the game for us.

"The two players went for the ball, I don't know I didn't see the action. This gave Spurs the opportunity to win the game."

Image source, Reuters

OK, let's be clear here. If Mike Dean reckons Nathan Redmond deliberately pulled back Dele Alli then, by the letter of the law, it is a red card. 

But whether it was a penalty or not is a different debate. As is whether Redmond deliberately fouled Alli inside the box. Redmond started tugging at Alli outside the box, but then seemed to slip just inside to cause Alli to fall over.

Tricky. Who'd be a referee...

Michael Browne: Redmond did pull back Dele Alli, so red card is OK. But didn't anybody see: the offence was outside the box, so no penalty!

Andy Morgan: Pull (and it was hardly that) was outside the box. Advantage was played, shot was taken. Retrospective yellow at most.

Southampton

Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse: "Of course it is frustrating to lose after making such a strong start. The 10-day break did us good and we can take positives from our start. We put them under pressure but couldn't sustain that. The way we pressed is hard to maintain throughout the game. You want to get second or third to kill the game.

"Even at down to 10 men we sensed we could have got back into the game. But they were clinical with their chances."

On Nathan Redmond's red card: "It changed the game. Whether it is a red card or not is the referee's decision. Nathan had to make the challenge to stop Dele Alli scoring."

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham striker Harry Kane: "Southampton is a tough game for any team and we have come here and scored four in a comfortable win in the end.

"People had been talking, saying that I hadn't scored for one or two games but that's the position I am in. I was thankful to score today. The ground gave way under me for the penalty, I had seen before the game that there was a new square of turf and it just gave way."

Midfielder Dele Alli: "It's never nice to concede so early but we didn't panic and stuck to our gameplan. After the first goal for us it was a good game and a big statement."

Image source, Getty Images

Let's have a trawl through the FA rule book then., external

Where a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offending player is cautioned unless:

• The offence is holding, pulling or pushing or
• The offending player does not attempt to play the ball or there is no possibility for the player making the challenge to play the ball or
• The offence is one which is punishable by a red card wherever it occurs on the field of play (e.g. serious foul play, violent conduct etc.)

In all the above circumstances the player is sent off.

Nathan Redmond pulled back Dele Alli so it was a red card. 

Saints skipper Jose Fonte marches over to Mike Dean at the final whistle demanding to know why team-mate Nathan Redmond was sent off early in the second half. Home players also surround the referee who tells them Redmond walked for pulling back Dele Alli. Claude Puel is given the same explanation before graciously shaking Dean's hand.

Steve Claridge
Ex-Leicester striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's been a thoroughly professional performance from a number of different Tottenham players. 

Let's be honest, when Harry Kane plays he takes them to another level. He makes all the difference and Danny Rose on the left hand side has been absolutely sublime. 

With 11 v 11 Southampton may have gotten back into the game but Tottenham still would have won it comfortably with the way the home side were playing. 

It's been a tough watch for Saints fans tonight.  

Image source, Getty Images

Ref Mike Dean calls time on this Christmas cracker. Spurs stay fifth, now a point behind arch-rivals Arsenal. Saints remain eighth after conceding four at St Mary's for the first time in the Premier League.

Image source, Reuters

The full repertoire of Christmas-related football songs are being belted out of the away end. Close to a third successive league win for the visitors.