Rickie Lambert believes Spurs will see a different Saints side tomorrow to the one they beat at St Mary’s earlier in the season.

Tottenham triumphed 3-2 shortly before Christmas, in a match where Mauricio Pochettino’s men were far from their best.

But Saints head to White Hart Lane in good form, having won their last two games, and Lambert is confident of extending that streak.

“We’re playing well at the minute, we’ve gone on a little run, which we were desperate for, and I think you’ll see a different Southampton this time,” he said.

“I don’t think we were at our best when they played us at our place, and we were very disappointed with it, so we’re looking forward to trying to rectify that.”

Saints head into the weekend in eighth position in the Premier League, with a chance of still improving on that this season.

Immediately ahead of them is Manchester United, who have three more points and have played a game less.

Everton, in sixth, a position that represents the last Europa League spot, are six clear, with two matches in hand on Saints.

Then there is Spurs, in fifth, who are eight points above Pochettino’s side, having played the same number of fixtures.

Lambert doesn’t expect to be able to overhaul all three of those teams, but he believes it is possible for Saints to get past one, or even two, of them.

“It’s not too far off. I don’t want to start saying we’re aiming for fifth, because I think that might be a little bit too out of our reach, but I think seventh, maybe sixth, if we can finish in one of them positions that would be unbelievable,” said the striker, who netted his ninth league goal of the campaign with a strike in last weekend’s 4-2 win over Norwich.

“I think if we finish eighth that’s a good season, but because of where we are now we’re going to try and push for them next positions now, and if we get seventh then we’ll try and push for sixth.”

Saints will slip to ninth in the table this afternoon, if Newcastle win their home game against Crystal Palace.