Tottenham may only have the Premier League to focus on in the final months of the season, but that is motivation enough for coach Antonio Conte.
Spurs exited the FA Cup and the Champions League in quick succession at the start of March.
It means another season will pass without Tottenham winning silverware, but they still have plenty to play for, fourth in the Premier League and in the final Champions League qualification place heading into Saturday's game at lowly Southampton.
Just being in the Premier League is a challenge that means a great deal to Conte, he explained ahead of the Saints match.
"I think that for sure to play the Premier League, to be a coach in the Premier League means you have to be ready to face a great competition," he said.
"To face important players, important clubs, important coaches... and for this reason, the motivation is really, really high.
"For this reason, you want to be strong, to have a strong team and to try to be competitive."
Conte appears focused again on the task at hand, describing his discussion of potentially being sacked after losing to Milan as "a joke".
"I don't think the club is thinking this," he said.
Opponents Saints have sacked two coaches this season, with Ruben Selles now tasked with keeping them in the top flight.
With an international break following this weekend's action, Selles sees the meeting with Spurs as key.
"I don't want to sit on defeat for one hour, that is what I can tell you," he said. "So, imagine for two weeks.
"I will prepare every game to win the game, to do the best performance we can and to get the best results."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Southampton – James Ward-Prowse
Southampton dominated the possession against Brentford in midweek but attempted only seven shots and one on target.
They need more creativity on the ball so will inevitably turn to captain James Ward-Prowse, who has created more chances both from set plays and in open play than any team-mate this season. He also scored against Tottenham in the reverse fixture.
Tottenham – Richarlison
After announcing his frustration at his limited playing time following Tottenham's Champions League exit, Richarlison looked to have come up with an ideal response when he found the net early against Nottingham Forest.
But his celebrations were for nought due to the tightest of offside calls. He is still without a Premier League goal in 18 games for Tottenham, although he netted five against Southampton for Everton.
MATCH PREDICTION – TOTTENHAM WIN
Expect goals in this one, as Southampton have scored at least once in each of their past 14 Premier League games against Spurs while keeping just one clean sheet in their last 21 against them.
Southampton have won only two of their 10 home league games against Tottenham since returning to the top flight in 2012, with Spurs now aiming to complete a home-and-away double over Saturday's opponents for a seventh time in the Premier League era.
Conte's side will have to snap a four-game losing run away from home in all competitions, but Southampton are winless in 15 games against teams starting the day in the top four of the table.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Tottenham – 54.0 per cent
Southampton – 20.3 per cent
Draw – 25.7 per cent
England 2-0 Ukraine: Saka stars as Three Lions stroll
Bukayo Saka was instrumental and Harry Kane was again on target as England strolled to a 2-0 win over Ukraine in Euro 2024 qualifying.
Having become England's all-time leading scorer in the 2-1 win over Italy in Naples, Kane broke the deadlock in the 37th minute at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
England's captain converted a superb cross from Saka, who then put the hosts in complete command three minutes later.
A comeback was never on the cards after the Arsenal star's long-range effort, with England firmly in control of Group C with six points from two games.
England had struggled to break down Ukraine before Saka produced a whipped delivery to the far post, where Kane was waiting to fire into the bottom-left corner with aplomb.
After teeing up the first, Saka then produced a second out of nothing, bending magnificently into the top-right corner.
Ukraine were improved in the second half, but did not even manage a corner until the 73rd minute, illustrating England's comfort in seeing out the victory.
England withdrew Kane late on to hand Ivan Toney his England debut, and Gareth Southgate will surely have several opportunities to introduce new faces if his side's qualifying campaign continues in this serene fashion.
Toney's fellow substitute Conor Gallagher forced a smart stop out of Anatolii Trubin before Harry Maguire headed over and Jack Grealish went close, with the only frustration for England being a failure to add further gloss with a third.
Havertz and Schlotterbeck withdraw from Germany squad
Kai Havertz and Nico Schlotterbeck have withdrawn from Germany's squad for Tuesday's friendly with Belgium.
Both players started Saturday's 2-0 win over Peru, but the German Football Association (DFB) confirmed on Sunday they have now returned to their clubs.
Chelsea attacker Havertz is ruled out of the Belgium match through illness, while Borussia Dortmund defender Schlotterbeck has a thigh injury.
Germany head coach Hansi Flick has decided against calling up any replacements for the friendly at RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne.
Belgium, who beat Sweden 3-0 in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier on Friday, will be without Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois due to a minor strain injury.
Deschamps backs Mbappe for more records as France prepare for Ferguson challenge
Didier Deschamps expects Kylian Mbappe to continue breaking France records but knows a Republic of Ireland generation inspired by teenage talisman Evan Ferguson pose a threat.
Les Bleus thrashed the Netherlands 4-0 in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier and will be confident of claiming another three points in Dublin on Monday.
New captain Mbappe hit a double against the Dutch, taking him to 38 international goals and fifth on France's all-time scoring charts – just three shy of the great Michel Platini (41).
Mbappe has scored half of those in his last 16 outings, as many as in his first 51 games, Deschamps suggests there is no limit for the 24-year-old.
"It's Kylian, he's full of ambitions. When he reaches one, he has another to reach," Deschamps said at a press conference.
"He reached and exceeded quite a few very early on. He has that in him. He has a driving role compared to the whole group.
"He will do everything to get there, he will need the others, but it's Kylian."
France have won their last four qualifying matches, for both the World Cup and Euros, by an aggregate score of 16-0.
Les Bleus have not managed five qualifying victories without conceding since doing so between November 1981 and December 1984, but they face an Ireland side buoyed by a young prospect of their own.
Ferguson scored on his first international start in a 3-2 win over Latvia and could become the first Ireland player to net in consecutive appearances before turning 19.
The Brighton and Hove Albion striker has been a hot topic of discussion, with Deschamps acknowledging the danger the 18-year-old might offer.
"It goes back to [Euro] 2016. I remember that we were trailing 1-0 [in the round of 16 before winning 2-1] and that it was complicated," Deschamps said.
"But there is a new generation with Ferguson. It is always very difficult to compare."
Ireland have lost just three of their last 30 Euros qualifying games (W14 D13) and are unbeaten in their last 14 on home soil (W8 D6), including play-off fixtures.
That strong home form is a factor Deschamps knows France must deal with.
He continued: "They are a technical team. From what I have seen, they use less direct play and long balls. It will be a different game, with the crowd pushing as well.
"It's a high level and it's up to us to do no less."
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