With Arsenal and Liverpool dropping points over the weekend, Spurs could reclaim top spot with a win over Chelsea, this time with a five-point lead over the two previously mentioned sides, as well as a two-point lead over City.
Over the last week, there has been debate about who should play left back and whether Johnson or Richarlison should attack. Here are my predictions for who will play in tonight’s game:
Goalkeeper – Guglielmo Vicario
Vicario has been a fantastic signing to replace Spurs veteran Hugo Lloris this season, nearly giving us a clean sheet for the entire month of October. His statistics speak for themselves, as he still has the league’s highest save percentage. Venom is still the Premier League’s most underappreciated shot-stopper, and he’ll be needed tonight.
Left-back – Emerson Royal
The most significant change for the London Derby will be at left-back. With Ben Davies out with an ankle injury and Ange wanting to rest Udogie, who took a knock last game, the Brazilian is the next option at fullback. He typically plays on the right and is less well-known for his defensive abilities, but he is Ange’s next best option. He’ll be most effective as an inverted fullback, which is a crucial aspect of Ange-Ball.
Center-backs – Cristian Romero & Micky van de Ven
One of the league’s best center-back pairings this season, these two have provided a solid foundation for Tottenham, not only defending against strikers but also initiating buildup play for Ange’s attacking style of play. Assuming they stay healthy, either of them starting on the bench at any point this season will be a huge surprise.
Right-back – Pedro Porro
Porro has been a consistent starter all season, and with limited squad depth at the position and potential injuries to Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie, he’s likely to get the start.
Midfielders – James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr
As the season has progressed, these three have gelled quite well. They’ve all demonstrated their ability to play through the lines and contribute to the offence with speed both on and off the ball. Madders, of course, has been outstanding in every aspect, and Bissouma will be looking to play more defensively now that he is free of his yellow card caution.
Sarr has been perhaps Tottenham’s most versatile player all season, covering a lot of ground and filling in space during games to contribute to the play and get the ball forward. Hojbjerg is another option, but given Ange’s history with the player, he’s more likely to come on as a late substitute. Rodrigo Bentancur, who came on late in the Palace game, is still in no shape to play 90 minutes of football, let alone in a London derby.
Right-wing – Dejan Kulusevski
Kulu hasn’t been the most productive in front of goal this season, but he’s made an impact elsewhere. The former Juventus player has been fantastic for Spurs since joining under Antonio Conte, and he seems to have taken to Ange-Ball quite well, making plenty of dangerous carries and pressing hard each game. He’s been the favourite all season and should continue to improve his poise in front of the net.
Left-wing – Brennan Johnson
While he hasn’t played since the match against Arsenal, Ange may give him a chance. Richarlison played well against Fulham and has four league goals in 10 games, which is far better than his performance last season. Despite this, Johnson has yet to be given a real chance due to injury.
Furthermore, it’s possible that Chelsea will bring Reece James back into the mix for right-back, in which case Ange will definitely want to select Johnson due to his superior pace to Richarlison. It’s a tough call, but given the opponent, the Welshman appears to be the best fit.
Striker – Heung-min Son
Nobody would guess it any other way. Sonny has settled into his new role as captain with ease. He’s the team’s leading scorer with eight goals, and hopefully he’ll add a few more tonight. Tottenham will require his best performance.
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