Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton will do battle for the third time already this calendar year when the Saints visit North London for their FA Cup fourth round replay on Wednesday night.

The two sides played out a 1-1 draw in the initial tie last month and know that victory in the replay would set up a fifth-round meeting at home to Premier League strugglers Norwich City.

Match preview

These two sides have got to know each other well in recent weeks, and so far Jose Mourinho is yet to get one over on Ralph Hasenhuttl during his Tottenham reign.

A Premier League defeat on New Year's Day was made even more damaging by both Harry Kane and Moussa Sissoko suffering long-term injuries, while the FA Cup meeting at St Mary's resulted in a replay which neither manager would have wanted.

Having said that, some of the Spurs players may be champing at the bit to play again following their action-packed 2-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday - the type of result which alleviates some of the frustration at having their mid-season break interrupted by this match.

There were no shortage of talking points from that contest - from VAR to Mourinho's touchline antics to Steven Bergwijn's dream debut goal - and at the end of it all Spurs were able to close the gap on fourth-placed Chelsea to four points.

Consistency is seemingly all that is needed for any of the chasing pack to grab the top-four race by the scruff of its neck, and Wednesday's match gives Tottenham the chance to win back-to-back games across all competitions for the first time since Mourinho began his reign with three successive victories in November.

Spurs have won each of their last three home games and seven of nine under Mourinho, though, with Chelsea and Liverpool the only visiting teams to come out on top at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since his arrival.

Tottenham have also won each of their last seven home FA Cup games in a run which stretches back to 2016, although none of those have come against top-flight opposition.

The top-four race in the Premier League remains the priority, of course, but the desire to see what is now a 12-year trophy drought end - and a 29-year drought in this particular competition - is growing with each passing season.

Mourinho's reputation for winning silverware is exactly what got him the job and so he will be keen to add a second FA Cup to his own personal haul, which means that Southampton will be expecting a strong Tottenham team to turn up for this one.

The Saints can afford to give this competition their full attention too having stormed clear of immediate relegation trouble in recent months, climbing up to 13th in the table.

Seven points now separate them from the bottom three having won five of their last eight league games - a run which includes victories over Tottenham, Chelsea and Leicester City, all of whom currently sit in the top five.

Hasenhuttl's side fell short of adding another scalp to that list during Saturday's clash with champions-elect Liverpool, although the 4-0 final scoreline was harsh after they went into the break level and perhaps unfortunate not to be leading.

The result nonetheless brought an end to their four-game winning streak on the road, although they have still claimed a league-high proportion of their points away from home this season and so a trip to North London is unlikely to faze them.

The 1975-76 FA Cup is the only major trophy Southampton have won before, and a good run this year would further help to turn what looked like being a poor campaign for much of the early months into a successful one.

The Saints have only won once away to Tottenham since 2003, though, losing the corresponding league fixture 2-1 in September despite Spurs playing an hour with 10 men.

Tottenham FA Cup form: DWD
Tottenham form (all competitions): LWDWDW

Southampton FA Cup form: WD
Southampton form (all competitions): WWLWDL

Team News

Dele Alli is unlikely to be risked in this match after being on the end of a heavy challenge from England teammate Raheem Sterling at the weekend, eventually leading to his withdrawal in the 70th minute.

Other changes are likely too as Mourinho looks to keep his squad fresh, although he will not 'do a Liverpool' and rely entirely on youth players despite the mid-season break plans.

Erik Lamela, Tanguy Ndombele, Eric Dier, Ryan Sessegnon, Jan Vertonghen and January signing Gedson Fernandes are among the players who will be hopeful of a run-out.

Fernandes's fellow new arrival Bergwijn is ineligible, however, as FA rules dictate that a player must have been eligible for the initial tie in order to feature in a replay.

Ben Davies could return after the winter break, but this match is expected to come too soon for him while Kane and Sissoko are long-term absentees.

Southampton, meanwhile, are still without Stuart Armstrong, although he too is not far away from returning and could be back after the upcoming break.

Yan Valery could be in contention to feature, which in turn should free up James Ward-Prowse from the unfamiliar right-back role he has occupied in the last two games.

Sofiane Boufal will be hoping to start having scored the late equaliser which forced this replay, while Hasenhuttl must decide whether to start with top-scorer Danny Ings.

Spurs possible starting lineup:
Gazzaniga; Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Sessegnon; Ndombele, Dier; Lamela, Fernandes, Son; Lucas

Southampton possible starting lineup:
Gunn; Valery, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Bertrand; Boufal, Romeu, Hojbjerg, Redmond; Adams, Obafemi

We say: Tottenham 2-1 Southampton

This is a tough one to call, and the result could depend on how close to full strength both managers choose to go with their team selection. The FA Cup should be a target for both of these clubs, though, and if Spurs in particular take it seriously then the home advantage may be enough to carry them through.