Tottenham host League Cup finalists Southampton on Sunday (2.15pm kick-off) looking to consolidate their place inside the Premier League’s top four.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup last weekend with a 6-0 thrashing of League One side Millwall in the quarter-finals, and they’ll face Premier League leaders Chelsea in the last four next month.

But before then, Spurs have the unenviable task of trying to reel in Antonio Conte’s men in the title race, yet the Blues could be 13 points clear of Pochettino’s men by the time the North London club kick off on Sunday.

And it won’t be easy against a Southampton team that have beaten both Arsenal and Liverpool on the road this season, and pushed Manchester United in the League Cup final last month, only to lose 3-2 in the last few minutes.

The Saints have won their last two away league games to go into Sunday’s clash full of confidence, but Spurs will be favourites having won their last nine home league matches in a row.

With the build-up well underway ahead of Sunday’s encounter, we at Shoot! have selected our ultimate Tottenham-Southampton six-a-side team…

Hugo Lloris

Fraser Forster hasn’t been at his absolute best for Southampton this season, but even his best would struggle to dispose Hugo Lloris of the goalkeeping spot in this side.

The Spurs shot-stopper has been a stalwart of the Tottenham backline ever since his move from Lyon back in 2012, and has once again this season shown why he is a top-quality goalkeeper.

Impressive displays in their ill-fated Champions League campaign as well as in Premier League clashes against Manchester City, Hull, and Stoke has underlined his capabilities as a keeper, and although he has made a few errors, he has also saved Spurs countless times.

He’s well worthy of a spot in this team.

Virgil van Dijk

Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are two of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, but Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk has perhaps been better than both of them this season.

The Dutch international moved to St Mary’s from Celtic in 2015 and initially struggled with the demands of the English game, but once he cracked it, he became one of the most accomplished modern-day defenders in the division.

And that is why he makes it in this side, as his ability on the ball is just as good as his work of it.

Southampton will be looking forward to having him back fit again in the near future.

Danny Rose

Danny Rose made all of his 12 England appearances in 2016, which underlines how much he has improved as a player in the last 18 months or so.

The 26-year-old has been at Tottenham ever since 2007 but several loan spells away from White Hart Lane took place before he became a regular, although in the last few years he has been the undisputed number one left-back at the club.

Yet his performances this term have gone up another level again, be it as a wing-back tearing down the left-hand-side, or as a full-back fulfilling his defensive duties.

Rose has arguably been the best left-back in the division, and his adeptness in both boxes sees him get the nod in this side ahead of Kyle Walker and Ryan Bertrand.

Oriol Romeu

Both Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele have been excellent for Spurs this term, as has Oriol Romeu for Puel’s Southampton.

The Spanish midfielder spent four years at Chelsea earlier in his career but didn’t get much gametime at Stamford Bridge, and actually spent his last few years there on loan at Valencia and Stuttgart.

And that seems to have made him a more accomplished player, as he then signed for Southampton in 2015, and has been impressive ever since.

He has been the mainstay of the Saints midfield this season, and his fine ability to break up play and make copious amounts of tackles and interceptions gives him the nod in this side.

Dele Alli

Tottenham’s Dele Alli is backing up his fine first season in the Premier League with an equally-impressive campaign this time round.

The 20-year-old scored ten goals in 33 games last term to help Pochettino’s side to third place in the top-flight, their highest ever finish, but this season he has taken it up another level, having already netted 13 times for Spurs in 26 appearances.

His link-up play with Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen has been excellent, and with three goals in his last three matches, Alli is once again in fine form.

There aren’t many better number tens in the Premier League at the moment than the England star, who is a shoe-in in this side.

Harry Kane

Injury looks set to disrupt Harry Kane’s season once again, as up until his ankle injury against Millwall on Sunday, he was the form striker in the Premier League.

The England international scored eight goals in his four matches before Spurs’ FA Cup quarter-final victory last weekend, with his brace against Everton taking him to the top of the Premier League goal-scoring charts, only to be joined there by Romelu Lukaku a week later.

With 19 goals already this season, adding to his 25 last term and 21 the one before, Kane is proving to be one of the best forwards in the league, to the point that record goal-scorer Alan Shearer reckons Kane could challenge his 260 top-flight goals.

Thus, Kane makes this side ahead of Southampton’s Manolo Gabbiadini, who deserves great credit for a stunning start to life on the South Coast.