Live Match Center: Tottenham v Gillingham

1 of 4

ENFIELD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 13: Harry Winks and Joshua Onomah of Tottenham Hotspur in conversation during the Tottenham Hotspur training session at Tottenham Hotspur training centre on September 13, 2016 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images) /

Welcome to HotspurHQ’s Live Match Center! We’ll be handling line ups, in-game thoughts and final analysis of Wednesday’s EFL Cup match between Tottenham and Gillingham.

This is Spurs’ first foray into the recently re-branded EFL Cup. Due to their league position last season, they enter in at the competition’s third round.

Gillingham’s status in League One obliged it to participate in the first two rounds. They saw off League One opponents Southend in the first then defeated Watford in extra time in the second.

Such opposition is a welcome change from the team Tottenham opened the League Cup with last term: neighborhood rivals Arsenal.

That match ended 2-1 in the Gunners’ favor, though Mauricio Pochettino’s heavily rotated team selection and the club’s ability to press on afterwards (they would beat Manchester City 4-1 days later) telegraphed just how little regard there was for the competition.

More from Hotspur HQ

With Spurs’ priorities clearly closer to the Premier League and Champions League, it’s unlikely that Pochettino regards success or failure against Gillingham all that highly this term either.

The relative status of the opposition combined with Spurs’ never-deeper bench allows Pochettino to experiment rather freely though, as we discussed in our match preview from Tuesday. We can expect to see quite a few Academy products mixed in with bench players and a couple regular starters.

There’s not use being coy about Spurs’ chances here. Gillingham are a mid-table League One side and, as such, should offer little resistance to even a heavily rotated team like Spurs. Their ability to see off Watford in the previous round might cue some caution, but the odds are heavily in Tottenham’s favor all the same.

Check back here an hour before kick off for team news!