Matchday Live: West Brom v Tottenham

1 of 4

ENFIELD, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 13: Mauricio Pochettino during the Tottenham Hotspur training session at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre on October 13, 2016 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images) /

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Matchday Live, where we here at HotspurHQ give you live(ish) updates about an ongoing match. Today: West Brom v Tottenham!!

Alright, admittedly we could have gone for one or even two less exclamation points there. This match, like Tottenham’s two encounters with the Baggies last term, is far more likely to be a slog than anything else. Which is exactly how Tony Pulis wants it.

Far be it from us or anything else to bemoan Pulis’ tactics. They work in a broad way, ensuring that Stoke City, Crystal Palace and now West Brom survive in the Premier League against all odds, but without the added burden of actually competing for anything. And we said we wouldn’t be bemoaning.

Anyhow, the primary concern of anyone reading this now is that Tottenham find a way to break through West Brom or, more importantly, not get embarrassed.

Last season’s two 1-1 draws suggested that West Brom might know a thing or two about stopping Spurs. We talked about that in more detail in Thursday’s opposition scouting report.

Mauricio Pochettino has the tools to beat West Brom, the question is if he’ll actually use them. With a trip to Bayer Leverkusen coming on Tuesday, the Argentine might be inclined to bench some of his best players Saturday. Check out our line-up predictor for more analysis.

Perhaps the biggest question in terms of the lineup is whether Heung-min Son plays. The South Korea is in stunning form (check out Chris Nano on Son winning September’s Premier League Player of the Month) but Pochettino could be inclined to rest him after some long distance traveling during the international break.

Son won’t be the only player coming into this match with some reasons to be buoyed. Alex Balano wrote about a possible Jan Vertonghen contract renewal just yesterday, for instance.

In perhaps more bittersweet developments, Alex’s coverage of Mousa Dembélé and Harry Kane’s injuries will give opportunities to some members of the squad who might not otherwise be playing. Check out our pieces about Vincent Janssen and how Dembélé might struggle to reintegrate into the squad.

Finally, take time to read our tactical preview of Saturday’s match, including three key changes we wouldn’t be surprised to see.

Check back here about an hour before kick-off for line-ups and some additional snarky commentary!