5 Things We Learned from Tottenham's 2-1 Win over Southampton

Tottenham held on to their lead in the second half and defeated Southampton, 2-1, on Sunday at the St. Mary's Stadium.

Spurs took the lead in the first half through goals from Jermain Defoe and Clint Dempsey.

However, the visitors were put on the defensive for most of the second half, especially after Jay Rodriguez scored in the 66th minute for the Saints.

In the end, Spurs were able to hold on to their lead, but it was a very close game in the end.

Here are five things we learned from Tottenham's 2-1 road victory on Sunday.

Tottenham Need to Play Better in the Second Half

For the first 45 minutes of Sunday's match, Tottenham were the dominant side.

For the final 45 minutes of the match, Spurs were on the defensive against an inspired Southampton side.

The back four of William Gallas, Steven Caulker, Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen had their hands full during the second half when the Saints were energized after the goal by Jay Rodriguez in the 66th minute.

The most important play by a Spurs player in the second half came when Sandro blocked a thunderous shot by Morgan Schneiderlin in the 90th minute.

If Spurs are going to contend for a top four position, they will have to play all 90 minutes in a dominant fashion, unlike what they did in the second half on Sunday.

Emmanuel Mayuka's Substitution Changed the Match

In the 58th minute, Southampton manager Nigel Adkins replaced Jason Puncheon with Emmanuel Mayuka.

Mayuka's introduction to the match allowed both Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana to have more freedom throughout the pitch.

The substitution had an immediate impact, and eight minutes after Mayuka made his entrance into the match, the Saints scored through Jay Rodriguez.

The Saints attack was very potent for the final 34 minutes after the goal, but they were unable to put the equalizer into the back of the net.

Tottenham Need Gareth Bale in the Starting 11

Gareth Bale returned to the Tottenham starting 11 on Sunday after missing the club's last two matches due to the birth of his first child.

In the matches against Chelsea and Maribor that Bale missed, you could tell that there was a missing link in the Spurs attack.

The former Southampton player had a huge impact on the two Tottenham goals in the first half, he scored the first goal in the 15th minute and was a valuable part of the build-up to the second goal.

With Bale back in the lineup, there should be no worries about how efficient the Welshman will be the main cog in the Spurs attack.

Tom Huddlestone Made the Right Decision to Stay at Tottenham

Amongst the deadline-day dealing that Tottenham did in August, one deal that did not get done was the transfer of Tom Huddlestone out of White Hart Lane to Stoke City.

That transfer deal fell through, and it is now reaping its benefits for Spurs.

With Moussa Dembele out injured, Huddlestone has taken over his spot in the starting 11 and has done a good job alongside Sandro as a holding midfielder.

Huddlestone is also a force in the attack as he took most of the Spurs free kicks before being taken off for Jake Livermore in the 63rd minute.

Southampton Have the Quality to Stay in Premier League

Out of all the clubs that are expected to be in the relegation fight, Southampton are in the best shape at the moment to stay up.

Although they do sit 19th place in the table after Sunday's match. Nigel Adkins' club has proven that they can score goals and not ones to give up easily.

The Saints have also shown that when they are down to top-notch opposition that they have fight in them and will not go down easily.

The second half performance against Tottenham mirrored the ones that the newly promoted side had against both Manchester United and Manchester City earlier in the season.

With an easier schedule up ahead in November, it could be time for the Saints to make a run out of the relegation zone and into the middle of the EPL table.