Thursday’s home fixture against Europe League opponents Anderlecht creates something of a conundrum for Mauricio Pochettino and his Spurs side. How exactly do you balance a short-handed squad between two Premier League fixtures and a suddenly vital mid-week Europa League clash?
This question becomes particularly pressing considering the result Spurs earned last time out in the Europa League. Pochettino’s boys were shocked by a 2-1 loss away at Anderlecht, only their third loss in all competitions so far this season.
That was not the result anyone was expecting. It left Spurs third in Group J and in serious danger of dropping out of the competition altogether. In years past this might not have been much of an issue – many at Spurs might prefer to not have to worry about the Europa League knockout rounds in a tricky second half to the season.
Pochettino has made a point so far this season of naming strong squads for these group games though, a sign that he and the backroom staff at the club were committed to giving it their all. After five consecutive seasons of qualifying for Europe’s lesser international club competition, it seemed overdue that the club would take the tournament seriously. Spurs’ relatively deep and developing squad made it easier to do this, and the added incentive of a Champions League place to the winner made it all the more enticing.
That poor result at Anderlecht threw a wrench in that plan. It not only compromises Spurs’ chances of progressing to the next stage, but it also means that the remaining three matches of group play actually mean something. Pochettino was hoping that a win in Belgium would put enough distance from the other teams in the group that Spurs could essentially cost through to the next round. Now, though, a win against Anderlecht is the only option, and then Spurs have to travel thousands of miles to play Azerbaijani champions Qarabag FK away before hosting a stubborn Monaco side in December.
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Pochettino would presumably be obliged to name strong squads for this week’s match against Anderlecht and even against Qarabag three weeks later to ensure that Spurs can finish top or at least second in Group J. Ideally, those would have been games in which regular Premier League starters could be rested – maybe not wholesale, but at least on an as-needed basis. At a time when the squad is already thinned through injury, this is a particularly big ask.
It’s made even bigger by the fact that following these next two Europa League games are Premier League clashes with London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea. Even if the latter aren’t exactly as formidable as they were last season, Arsenal are looking like title contenders. Pochettino will want his starters available for that North London derby especially, even if most or all of them have played against Anderlecht three days prior.
Taking that into consideration, there’s a chance that Monday’s game against a lowly Aston Villa side might drop in priority. What that will look like given the injuries to the side is hard to predict – perhaps Clinton Njie returns to the fold and a newly-fit Ryan Mason takes over for Dele Alli in central midfield.
Spurs faced a crowded fixture list in September and were still able to field consistently strong starting XIs throughout. Injuries are more of a factor heading into a densely packed November, but it’s possible that Spurs come out of this on top. An international break in the middle of the month will offer some welcome respite, and Nabil Bentaleb and Tom Carroll could return to fitness before the trip to Qarabag.
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Come December, Pochettino might be content looking back on a month that saw Spurs’ Europa League hopes improve even if it meant that the results from matches like Sunday’s against Arsenal were affected slightly by the lack of rotation.