Mark Lawrenson is backing Tottenham Hotspur to make a statement with a 2-0 win against Southampton at St Mary’s on Sunday afternoon.

Spurs will be eager to secure a much-needed Premier League victory at St Mary’s on Sunday after Jose Mourinho’s side look to secure their first top-flight win of the 2020-21 season.

Tottenham lost 1-0 to Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend after Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored a second-half header.

Spurs have already lost ground on their top-four rivals Arsenal, Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC after the trio secured victories.

The north London side have been heavily linked with a swoop to re-sign Wales international Gareth Bale from La Liga giants Real Madrid this summer.

Harry Kane and Tanguy Ndombele scored in a 2-1 victory over Lokomotiv Plovdiv in their Europa League second qualifying round fixture on Thursday night.

Tottenham will take on a Southampton side that lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener at Selhurst Park last weekend.

BBC Sport pundit Lawrenson is backing Tottenham to secure a 2-0 win against Southampton at St Mary’s on Sunday afternoon.

“If Gareth Bale signs in time to play for Tottenham then this is almost the perfect fixture for him to come back to, involving another of his former clubs,” Lawrenson told BBC Sport.

“Bale is going to be an excellent signing, and he is the kind of player that will lift the whole dressing room when he walks through the door.

“Even without him, though, I’d back Spurs here. They were poor against Everton and I found what Jose Mourinho said afterwards about their “lazy pressing” very strange, but I’d expect a reaction from them here.

“Mourinho very rarely loses consecutive games and Southampton are hardly in top form either.

“Not just because they lost to Crystal Palace, but more because they barely laid a glove on them in that game.”

Spurs were 2-1 winners against Southampton in north London last season but Tottenham suffered a 1-0 defeat on the south coast.

The two Premier League sides met four times in all competitions last term, drawing 1-1 in the FA Cup fourth round before Spurs were 3-2 winners in the reply.

Tottenham have signed Wolvers defender Matt Doherty, former England goalkeeper Joe Hart and Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer transfer window so far.

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