Premier League title contenders Tottenham host League Cup finalists Southampton on Sunday (2.15pm kick-off) looking to cut the gap on leaders Chelsea.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men went into the weekend ten points behind the Blues, but could be 13 adrift when they kick off on Sunday afternoon should Antonio Conte’s side get the better of Stoke on Saturday.

And although that would surely be too big a gap to overcome, Spurs will hope to keep the pressure on with another victory at White Hart Lane against Pochettino’s former club Southampton, where he managed for 18 months before taking over at Tottenham in 2014.

His side have won their last nine home league games and haven’t suffered defeat at White Hart Lane at all this season, but it is sure to be a tough ask against Claude Puel’s Saints, who have beaten both Arsenal and Liverpool away from home this term, and came agonisingly close to beating Manchester United in last month’s League Cup final.

The South Coast outfit go into the weekend tenth in the table and having won their last two away games, scoring eight goals, so they are sure to make things difficult for Pochettino’s Spurs on Sunday.

With the build-up well underway ahead of Sunday’s clash, we have analysed the THREE key battles which will go someway to deciding the outcome at White Hart Lane…

Toby Alderweireld v Manolo Gabbiadini

Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld will come up against his former club on Sunday when Spurs host Southampton.

The Belgian international spent the 2014/15 season on loan at St Mary’s, helping the Saints to a seventh place finish under Ronald Koeman, and for many that was where he made a name for himself following a string of impressive performances.

And it was at the end of that campaign that Spurs bought the 28-year-old, and he has since then gone from strength to strength under Pochettino, becoming one of the Premier League’s best defenders.

And Alderweireld will have to be at his best on Sunday to deal with and thwart Saints striker Manolo Gabbiadini, who has made a sensational start to life in England.

The Italian international joined Southampton in January after falling down the pecking order at Napoli, and he has hit the ground running on the South Coast with six goals in his first four games for the club, including a brace in their heart-breaking 3-2 League Cup final defeat to Manchester United.

Nonetheless, he has since then netted in their 4-3 win at Watford to further underline his goal-scoring credentials, and his aerial prowess and clever movement is certainly going to cause Alderweireld some issues on Sunday in what should be a fascinating battle between the two.

Victor Wanyama v Oriol Romeu

Spurs midfielder Victor Wanyama is another player who will face his former club on Sunday, having spent three seasons at Southampton before moving to White Hart Lane last summer.

The 25-year-old was another who seriously impressed in his time on the South Coast, and Pochettino decided to once again sign the Kenyan international having been the man in charge of Southampton when Wanyama joined the club in 2013.

And he has since flourished in North London, as he has become the first choice central midfielder following several excellent performances, with his ability to break up the play and read the game in the middle helping Spurs to a fine defensive record, as well as 16 wins from their 27 league matches.

However, Southampton’s Oriol Romeu has been equally as impressive this season, and the battle between these two on Sunday will be crucial in determining which side holds the midfield supremacy.

Saints’ Romeu has started 25 of their 27 league games this term, and is regularly one of their highest performing stars on any given matchday, with his ability to intercept and deny the opposition attackers time and space on the ball integral to Southampton’s success this season.

A strong, powerful player capable of retaining the ball well under pressure and keeping things simply, Romeu’s displays have been the main reason Southampton haven’t missed Wanyama this term, so it should be quite the battle between the two on Sunday.

Son Heung-min v Maya Yoshida

Harry Kane’s ankle ligament injury he sustained in the 6-0 thrashing of Millwall last weekend will open the door for one Tottenham front man to lead the line against Southampton.

And it’s looking likely to be Son Heung-min who gets the nod after his impressive hat-trick against the Lions on Sunday.

The South Korean international took his tally to 14 for the season with a fine trio against Neil Harris’ men, and although Vincent Janssen netted his first goal from open play for the club, Son’s prior exposure to the Premier League and decent form at the start of the campaign makes him favourite to get the starting berth.

If that’s the case, he’ll be up against Saints’ Maya Yoshida, who is currently the number one centre-back at the club following the injury to Virgil van Dijk, and the departure of Jose Fonte to West Ham.

The 28-year-old has been supremely consistent throughout his four and a half year spell at St Mary’s, and although he hasn’t always been first choice, he has always done a job for the team when called upon.

Yoshida is aerially very strong and will probably dominate Son in that area on Sunday, but the Spurs man has a good turn of pace and likes of cut inside, which could spell trouble for the Saints if Yoshida is left exposed to the 24-year-old.

Nonetheless, how well Yoshida defends against Son will be vital if Southampton are to get anything from their visit to North London.