Southampton 2-2 Tottenham: Mauricio Pochettino's return overshadows a crucial Europa League battle

Pochettino may still be talking about how he doesn’t really like the Europa League, but you can be sure his Tottenham employers would rather Spurs were in it, instead of just ‘focussing on the league.’

At Southampton, that feeling is even more intense.

Graziano Pelle (centre) celebrates the second of his two goals against Spurs

It goes without saying that everybody wants to play in the Champions League, but, if not, the Europa League is a good runners-up prize, especially for those clubs who are not expecting to challenge for the top four every year.

Aston Villa’s surprise FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool has added a bit of intensity to the end of a season which otherwise might have fizzled out a little.

With Liverpool, Tottenham and Saints battling it out for fifth, sixth and seventh, and pretty much assured of those places in one order or another, it appeared as if Europa League qualification was in the bag for all three before Villa’s intervention.

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Though Arsenal will be favourites for the FA Cup win, and thus still make the above equation become a reality, with their spot going back to the division should they triumph, a Villa win would thwart the hopes of the team finishing seventh.

Spurs and Pochettino maybe are publicly a bit blasé about it, but Saints cannot afford to be.

It has been a great season no matter what, but if it were to end in seventh and not in Europe it would be a huge opportunity missed, and a mere glance at Saints’ history suggests one that does not come around very often.

It was inevitable that Pochettino’s return would attract the headlines, and he was something of a pantomime villain.

Sadio Mane tries to break away from some close Tottenham attention

His presence did set up a cracking atmosphere, and he was duly jeered every time he set foot in the technical area, by some with great conviction and by others who played along.

But behind this game was a battle for supremacy in the table.

It was one that Saints really ought to have got the better of, having had the majority of the good chances and twice leading at St Mary’s.

Pochettino’s side twice hit back, with their only two shots on target, and still sit just ahead of Saints heading into the final four games of the season.

Even for all the post-match analysis of Pochettino’s reception, the real talking point should have been the game itself, which was hugely enjoyable.

This was two very good teams going at it, both positive and playing to win.

They both play the ball on the ground and there was a genuine intensity to the fixture.

Pochettino’s Tottenham side play in an almost carbon copy way to which his Saints team did.

It’s that familiar high press, high tempo game. We all know all about Koeman’s Saints.

Past and present: Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman

It was a fascinating battle.

Spurs started the brighter, Ryan Bertrand the biggest threat for Saints, but the first chance for either side took 25 minutes to arrive.

James Ward-Prowse’s low corner was met first time by Morgan Schneiderlin, but Hugo Lloris got down to his left to turn wide.

It took just four more minutes for Saints to take the lead for the first time.

The goal was a complete and utter shambles from Spurs, but Saints didn’t care.

Graziano Pelle’s flick set Sadio Mane on his way, the pair working so well together through the middle.

Graziano Pelle pokes home Saints' first goal against Spurs

He sprinted to the edge of the box and was challenged, before Saints appealed for a free kick as Ward-Prowse tried to mop up the loose ball.

It wasn’t given and it was just as well, as Ryan Mason stumbled on the ball and panicked as he got up, seeming to lose his bearings and produce a woeful back pass into his own area.

Ben Davies had the chance to clear but somehow thought he might be strong enough to hold off Pelle and shepherd it back to Lloris.

There were two problems with that theory, one was that he wasn’t, thanks to plenty of physical pressure from the big striker, and the other was that Lloris stayed rooted to his line.

It left Pelle with the chance to get a leg to the ball and simply toe it past the keeper from six yards out.

Saints might have doubled their lead a few minutes later, only for Steven Davis to totally miscue a shot from 12 yards after Bertrand’s pinpoint left wing cross.

They paid the price as they were pegged back two minutes before half time.

Eric Dier was given time to line-up a right wing cross, Harry Kane got the slightest of flicks at the near post and Erik Lamela got himself ahead of Jose Fonte.

The ball went goalwards via Lamela’s arm but it was pretty much impossible for the officials to spot.

Kelvin Davis dived to his left and got a hand to it, but could only push it onto the inside of the post and it went in.

Saints came flying out in the second period and Steven Davis may have wanted the ground to swallow him up as two more good chances fell to him and went begging.

The first saw Spurs back off him and give him time and space to pick his shot, but from just inside the area he dragged it wide.

The second was created by Mane’s pass to Pelle and the big man’s flick. Davis took a brilliant first touch to jink inside and create a yard, but his curling right-footed effort aimed at the far top corner went wide.

Shane Long was thrown into the mix in a clear sign that Koeman wanted the win in this game, and it paid off as his right-wing cross on 65 minutes picked out the magnificent leap of Pelle.

He had lost Federico Fazio and arrowed a header from ten yards out into the corner for 2-1.

Nacer Chadli celebrates Tottenham's second goal

Yet again, though, the lead didn’t last, as Spurs levelled five minutes later.

Dier played a ball down the right channel to Nacer Chaldi, who got just ahead of Maya Yoshida and held him off before finishing across goal and past Kelvin Davis, who had covered his near post but left open the far.

Saints did have one final chance in stoppage time, with Eljero Elia’s corner met by Fonte’s diving header, which skimmed the top of the bar and went over.

Pochettino was really only a sideshow to a marvellous game of football and a huge day which saw Saints walking away the more disappointed, but still with all to play for in the final weeks of the season.