Tottenham Accepts Charge for Moussa Sissoko’s Violent Conduct
Moussa Sissoko is the third Tottenham player to receive a suspension for violent conduct in the past 13 Premier League games that includes last season.
Video replays showed that Moussa Sissoko clearly extended his elbow out and hit Harry Arter in the face. But according to Mauricio Pochettino, he says that the Frenchman’s actions weren’t intentional.
The Argentine manager however acknowledges that Sissoko’s elbow was not where it was supposed to be — at Arter’s face — which is why Spurs have accepted their third violent conduct charge in the past 13 Premier League games that includes last season.
“After reviewing the video we have said that we accept the charge and now we move forward,” Pochettino said (via The Guardian). “I have seen it on TV and I have to say it wasn’t intentional, but the elbow was in Arter’s face, so we accept the charge and move forward with three games suspension.
With four starts in the Premier League and four substitution appearances in all competitions this season, the 27-year-old midfielder has found playing time ever since he joined Tottenham from Newcastle United this past summer.
Now with a three-match ban on the horizon, this will dent Mauricio Pochettino’s squad as he will lose a player with three difficult fixtures coming up (Liverpool in the League Cup, Leicester City and Arsenal in the Premiership).
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“It is true that it is a blow,” Pochettino continued. “We are in a period when we need all the squad fit to compete. We have three big matches ahead and it is difficult now because Moussa is a player who was in our plans to play tomorrow.”
With Moussa Sissoko out, this doesn’t exactly change Mauricio Pochettino’s overall lineup against Liverpool as he was already expected to go with a heavily rotated lineup. Against a Jürgen Klopp team who has no European commitments this season, it will be a tough match-up for Spurs.
Both teams have improved since their one-all draw in August with Tottenham now occupying fifth and the Reds sitting in third place, though only one point separates the two.
“I think we are in different momentum from [the last match in] August,” Pochettino said. “Both teams have improved a lot and we are close in the table. They have momentum behind them but they also have one of the best, if not the best squad in the league.”
“When you are involved in many competitions like we are, you can see that I rotate the squad in different games. It’s true that [the EFL Cup] is a different competition from the Premier League and that some time you need to rest a player who might have been playing a lot to avoid risk of injury.”
“But we have a squad who deserve to play. They are working so hard to play. So it’s about balance. But our idea will be the same regardless of the opposition. Our idea is win the game.”
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The Guardian’s Paul MacInnes expects that Josh Onomah, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Harry Winks will feature along with Michel Vorm and Geroges-Kévin N’Koudou, two players that Pochettino confirmed will likely start.
One player who will be missing is 17-year-old Marcus Edwards who is out with an ankle injury according to the Hertfordshire Mecury and could miss up to seven weeks.
“He’s injured, he got an injury the day before in Leverkusen and he twisted his ankle. He’s recovering from his injury and is not available for six or seven weeks now.” Mauricio Pochettino said.