Although the visitors were coming into the game in considerably better form with 10 points from their last 12 in the Premier League, Southampton were the ones creating the clearer chances early on the game.
Straight from kick-off, Tottenham’s reserve goalkeeper Michel Vorm, who was covering for Hugo Lloris after the Frenchman was struck down by illness, was tested by an emphatic shot from Manolo Gabbiadini outside the box.
There was plenty of space on the left-hand side for the ‘Saints’, who exploited it well through Dusan Tadic and skipper Ryan Bertrand, with the latter spending most of time as a left winger rather than a left-back. It would be from this side that the opening goal would orginate as a cross from the captain was turned into his own net by Tottenham’s Davinson Sanchez.
The Colombian looked visibly upset but he needn’t have worried as Spurs equalised 197 seconds later through star striker Harry Kane. The Englishman managed to rise above the Southampton defence to head home his 99th Premier League goal and his ninth in his last five league starts. All nine of those goals have come from inside the box as the forward continues to develop his poaching instincts.
However, the 24-year-old couldn't inspire his team to take the lead. Pochettino's side's best chance came in the 65th minute as Dele Alli let one rip from just outside the box. The shot went inches wide of the left post and summed up Tottenham's display today, which lacked it's typical clinical finishing.
The same could be said for Southampton, although the home side did produce a spirited display to fully deserve a draw, at the minimum.
17-year-old substitute Michael Obafemi had the best opportunity to win it late on for Mauricio Pellegrino's side as Tadic laid it on a plate through a cross from the right-hand side. However the young forward fluffed his lines, not managing to make enough contact on the ball to steer it into the back of the net.
The draw means that Tottenham fail to draw level on points with fourth-placed Liverpool, who play Swansea City on Monday. It also means that their North London rivals Arsenal gain two points on them, after their 4-1 victory against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
For Southampton, they remain in eighteenth, one point behind Stoke City who beat Huddersfield 2-0 on Saturday to lift themselves out of the relegation zone. Nonetheless, Pellegrino will be happy with his team's performance against one of the top teams and will still see it as one point gained instead of two points dropped.