da bwin： Tottenham have probably slipped a little under the radar this season. Although they’ve struggled for results at Wembley, the Lilywhites find themselves third in the table and only five points behind pace-setters Manchester City, while they’ve been nothing short of fantastic in Europe.
da roleta： But Mauricio Pochettino’s side failed their biggest domestic test of the season so far, a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, so it’s vital they claim a positive result when hosting another member of last season’s top six in the form of Liverpool on Sunday. That, however, will hinge on whether the Spurs boss can find the right answers to these four crucial questions…
Can the Europe game-plan work in the Premier League?
Tactically, there’s been a significant chasm between Tottenham’s performances domestically and in Europe so far this season. While Premier League encounters have seen them average 61% of the ball, only trumped by Manchester City throughout the division, their most impressive Champions League performances have stemmed from explosive and opportunist counter-attacking displays.
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During the win over Dortmund and the draw with Real Madrid, the Lilywhites saw just 33% of the ball as the dynamics of Mauricio Pochettino’s side drastically changed – in no small part due to their usual three-man defence becoming a back five.
That begs the question of whether the same game-plan can work in the Premier League, especially considering Spurs are still yet to truly convince at Wembley. Tottenham grabbed a first league win at their temporary home last weekend but it was a scrappy victory over Bournemouth and overall, the north Londoners have scored just three and conceded three, picking up five points from four games, at their national stadium.
Liverpool are an attacking side by nature, echoing Tottenham’s high-pressing game and eagerness to retain possession. So could setting up to hit on the break work when the Reds come to town on Sunday, or would a failure to impose themselves on the match create an even staler atmosphere at Wembley?
What can be learned from the last ten games?
Rather incredibly, Tottenham haven’t actually beaten Liverpool from their last ten attempts across all competitions, a dismal run spanning back to November 2012 that has produced an aggregate scoreline of 24-7.
Of course, Tottenham have employed three different managers during that period while their complexion of the squad has changed completely – the only surviving victors from five years ago are Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele and Hugo Lloris.
But that, in itself, suggests there are more thematic factors than the men in the dugout or those on the pitch. It boils down to philosophies, style of play and club identities and Pochettino must find a way of curtailing the tide this weekend or the winless run will extend to a staggering eleven games. There must be something to be learned from the previous ten encounters; even the last seven that the Argentine has been in charge for have lead to four defeats and three draws.
Who takes up the all-important defensive flanks?
Whether its as wing-backs or full-backs, the defensive flanks are arguably the most important positions within the Tottenham game-plan, providing the natural width the Lilywhites lack in the middle-to-final third. That saw Kyle Walker and Danny Rose emerge as amongst the most influential players in the Premier League under Pochettino and in truth, it fits perfectly into the wider tactical climate of full-backs who behave almost like wingers in the modern game.
They’ll be crucial this weekend too, not least because Liverpool’s 4-3-3 represents a miss-match of systems and Jurgen Klopp shares a similar preference for adventurous full-backs who will look to overlap more inward-inclined forwards. Consequentially, though, Pochettino is left with some huge decisions to make.
Serge Aurier gave away a rash penalty but also provided an assist against Real Madrid in midweek, but Kieran Trippier has been Pochettino’s trusted option in the Premier League on the most-part this season. Similarly, Ben Davies has been phenomenal this term but may run out of recovery time to make Sunday’s game amid an injury layoff – which saw centre-back Vertonghen fill in at the Bernabeu – whereas Rose is only just returning from a long spell out himself and a full ninety minutes still feels to soon.
So Pochettino certainly does have options either side of his defence, but a few headaches to solve as well.
Should Dele Alli still be in the team?
Dele Alli just hasn’t looked himself this season. The England international started last term slowly as well but it feels a little different this time around, not least because the attacking midfielder is known to be in the process of changing agents.
He appears distracted and he’s been coasting this season, especially against some of the lesser opposition Tottenham have faced, while he’s already been in trouble for swearing at Kyle Walker on England duty and diving against Burnley.
Alli may raise his game for a team like Liverpool travelling to Wembley but it’s almost a question of whether he’s done enough to deserve being in the side at this moment in time. Perhaps most tellingly, Tottenham’s best performances of the season so far – the win over Dortmund and draw with Real Madrid in Europe – both came in Alli’s absence, when the ability to function as a team saw the Lilywhites prevail.
It would be a huge call for such a big game, but there are grounds to argue Alli should start from the bench.