EPL: Mourinho starts New Year on losing note

Jose Mourinho’s quest for a top-four finish with Tottenham Hotspur has been dealt yet another blow following his losing start in the new year.

Danny Ings scored a first-half winner as Southampton inflicted a defeat on Tottenham, who suffered a nightmarish New Year’s Day at St Mary’s.

Ings continued his rich vein of scoring form as he bagged his 13th goal of the season to give Southampton a well-deserved early lead.

Tottenham’s defence failed to keep a clean sheet in an away Premier League game all through 2019 and they have started in similar poor fashion in 2020.

Mourinho’s game-plan was disrupted as Tanguy Ndombele was forced off with another injury in the first half and after the restart Tottenham’s pain was compounded when Harry Kane pulled a hamstring having had a goal ruled out for offside.

This latest defeat leaves Tottenham in sixth, six points behind Chelsea, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton earlier on Wednesday, while Southampton jump to 11th, six points ahead of the relegation zone.

In other New Year games already decided, Watford moved to within one point of safety as their revival under Nigel Pearson continued with a 2-1 home win over Wolves, despite having 10 men.

Gerard Delofeu and Abdoulaye Doucoure fired Watford ahead before Pedro Neto pulled one back for Wolves.